r IL ,u Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from Duke University Libraries http://www.archive.org/details/balmerinoitsabbe03camp BALMEEINO AND ITS ABBEY. Historia testis temporutn, lux veritatis, vita memonae, magistra vitae, nuntia vetustatis. Cicero De Oratore. BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY % Ijarotljial Jistorg By JAMES CAMPBELL, M.A. MIXISTEE OF BALMEEINO Kt^ an gipptubk of |IIustrEtitj£ gotumtnts EDi:NrBUKGH WILLIAM PATEESON, PRIXCES STREET MDCCCLXVII Common Seal of the Abbey. (Reduced in Size.) / / TO THE PARISHIONERS OF BALMERINO THIS VOLUME, WRITTEN CHIEFLY FOR THEIR USE, IS DEDICATED, IN TOKEN OF REGARD, BY THE AUTHOR. PEEFACE. The following attempt to elucidate the history of the Parish and Abbey of Balmerino had its origin in a Lecture on that subject which the Author delivered in the Parochial School- room in the year 1863, embodying the result of inquiries which he had been making for some time previously. Hav- ing promised to comply with a desire expressed by many, that this Lecture should be printed, he proceeded to make further researches, with the view, merely, of rendering it more complete before committing it to the press. But so many new materials were thus eventually collected, that he resolved to alter his plan, and prepare a systematic work. This course seemed the more appropriate from the circum- stance, that the ample materials available for the illustration of the history both of the Abbey and Parish, contained in the Abbey Chartulary, and in the Records of the Kirk-Session, Presbytery, and Synod, had not previously been turned to account in that way. The Author's aim has accordingly been to construct a work which should embrace whatever information of any interest he could gather concerning the Parish, from the Vlll PREFACE, earliest times of which any memorials exist down to a recent period, with such illustrative documents appended to it as could be contained within reasonable limits. With what success this design has been executed he must leave the Reader to decide. He may state, however, that he has left unexplored no likely source of information which was access- ible to him. He regrets that the difi&culty of prosecuting such inquiries has so much retarded the completion of the work ; but he ventures to hope that its greater comprehen- siveness, as now issued, will be regarded as compensating for the delay which has occurred. It is well known that, by the publication, in recent years, of the Registers and Chartularies of the ancient Scottish Bishoprics and Religious Houses, and of a great variety of Diaries, Family Documents, and National Records, many new materials have been provided for the illustration of the local, as well as of the general history of the country. These sources of information — from which there are few parishes whose history might not receive illustration — were generally not accessible to the Authors of the Statistical Accounts of Scotland. From this circumstance, as well as from the necessary restriction of their limits, these works, though valu- able for the views which they present of the state of the several parishes at the periods of their pubhcation, are, in most cases, very deficient in historical as distinct from statis- tical information. The time appears therefore to have come for the preparation of Parochial Histories, properly so called. The multiplication of such works would be attended with PREFACE. IX several advantages : intelligent interest in particular localities would be promoted amongst their inhabitants : the student of Scottish history would be enabled to form distinct con- ceptions of great national movements by observing their effects within the limited area of the district with which he may be most familiar : and the general history of the country — more especially in reference to social progress — would profit by the light thus made to converge upon it from many different quarters. It is almost unnecessary to say that in traversing the exten- sive period of time, and in dealing with the considerable variety of subjects, which this book embraces, the Author has freely availed himself of the labours of previous explorers in the same fields ; and he beheves that no apology will be required for the insertion, in a work of this kind, of so many extracts from old Authors and Eecords, whose quaint and racy language is so much more interesting than would be any mere paraphrase or abridgement of it. It is necessary to explain that the title of Part III. was chosen with reference to the prevailing character of its con- tents. That other matters than those strictly corresponding with the title have been occasionally introduced in that por- tion of the work, is due partly to the circumstance of their being found in the Eecords from which the notices of the ministers and ecclesiastical affairs of the Parish are drawn, and partly to the difficulty of arranging them in a separate section. It is also necessary to state that the engraving of the Common Seal of the Abbey, which is inserted on page X PREFACE. iv., is considerably reduced in size, the original being about two inches and three quarters in length, and one inch and three quarters in breadth. A brief account of the Abbey Chartulary, the substance of which is incorporated in the folloAving pages, may not be out of place here. The existing MS., which is preserved in the Advocates' Library, is a small octavo volume of twenty-six and a half leaves of parchment, containing sixty-nine docu- ments in the Latin language. The writing is beautifully executed in the Old-English character, and probably belongs to the latter half of the fourteenth century. The Colophon, which is twice repeated on the fly-leaves of the volume, and is executed in a hand-writing evidently more recent than the body of the MS., is as follows : — Liher Sarxte Marie de Bahnorinach. Qui eum alienaverit sit ipse alienatus a regno Dei. Scriptum est lioc per fratrem Laurencium predicti loci. Armo Domini 2PCCCC'"'' sexto X\ Araen.'^ The Chartulary was printed in 1841 for the Abbotsford Club, the " Eook of Lindores " being included in the same volume. The Editor, the late Mr W. B. D. D. Turnbull, has appended to the Balmerino Chartulary twelve documents referring to the Abbey, collected from other quarters. The contents of the Chartulary relate almost exclusively to the endowments and privileges of the Monastery, and throw little light on its • Translation : — " The Book of Saint Mary of Balmorinach. Whosoever shall give it away, may he himself be excluded from the kingdom of God. This has been written by brother Laurence of the foresaid place. In the year of our Lord 1416. Amen." PREFACE. XI internal economy. The Chartulary is evidently incomplete, even in respect of the period, and the kind of transactions, which it embraces, while its most recent date appears to be not later tlian the middle of the fourteenth century. The Editor, in his Introduction, has succeeded in making out a copious, though incomplete, list of the Eegular Abbots and Commendators, to which several additions have been made in the present volume. It is to be regretted, however, that Mr Turnbull's pages are disfigured by his intense Romish bigotry, and hatred of the Scottish Deformation, as he styles the great ecclesiastical Revolution of the sixteenth century, and which he characterizes as " one of the most atrocious events recorded in the history of the last thousand years." The Author desires, in conclusion, to return his best thanks to many gentlemen who have kindly assisted him in his inquiries. He has mentioned several of these elsewhere,* and will therefore not repeat their names here. Amongst others to whom he has been indebted, he may be permited to record his special obligations to the late lamented Dr Joseph Robert- son of the General Register House, Dr David Laing of the Signet Library, and Samuel Halket, Esq., of the Advocates' Library, for their valuable counsel and assistance in his researches amongst the Collections under their charge ; to Professor Lorimer, Lyon Clerk, for heraldic information regarding many of the landed proprietors of the Parish ; to Robert Dickson, * See notes at pages 115, 118, 128, 265, 268, 304, 309, 349, 357, 369, and Appendix, No. III. page 339. Xll PREFACE. Esq., Surgeon, Carnoustie, who has not only furnished the Author with much information regarding the lands of Barry Parish — once the property of the Ahbey — but has generously presented him with the requisite number oi facsimiles of the Monks' Signatures executed by himself in Photo- Lithogra- phy, from a charter in his possession ; and to Mr Frederick Johnston, M.A., a parishioner, whose pencil has supplied the spirited sketch of the Abbey Euins, which has been en- graved as the Frontispiece to this volume. Balmerino Manse, 20^A Xovember, 1867. DIRECTIONS TO THE BINDER. The View of the Abbey Euins to face the Title-page. The Signatures of the Monks to face page 123. CONTENTS. patrt I. History of the Parish previous to the Foundation of the Abbey (A.D. 1229). CHAPTER I. Pagk Prehistoric Period, ....... 3 CHAPTER II. Celtic Period, ....... 7 CHAPTER III. Change from the Gaelic to the EngHsh Language, . . 16 CHAPTER IV. Ancient Estate, Chapel, and Castle of Naughton, . 19 CHAPTER V. Ancient Proprietors and Church of Balmerino, . . 25 XIV CONTENTS. part e. History of thk Abbey. CHAPTER I. Fagf. The Monastic System, ...... 35 CHAPTEK II. The Cistercian Monks, ...... 40 CHAPTER III. Monastic Buildings and Builders, ... .48 CHAPTER IV. Foundation of the Abbey — Abbot Alan, .... 53 CHAPTER V. Abbots Ralph, John, and Adam I., . . . . 69 CHAPTER YI. Abbots Adam II., WiUiam De Perisby, and Thomas, . . 79 CHAPTER TIL Abbots William II., Alan II,, Hugh, John De Haylis, and Richard, 93 CHAPTER Tin. Abbot Robert, . . ... 107 CONTENTS. Pagb CHAPTER IX. Abbot Robert — Dissolution of the Monastery, - 115 CHAPTER X. The Commendatoi-s : John Hay — Henry Kinneir — John Kinneir — Robert Auchmouty — The Abbacy erected into a Temporal Lordship, ....... 133 CHAPTER XL What became of the Abbey Church, . . . . 146 CHAPER XII. Existing Ruins of the Abbey. ..... 150 part Jie. History of the Protestaxt Ministers and Church. CHAPTER L Mr Archibald Keith— Mr Patrick Auchinleck, ... 163 CHAPTER 11. Mr Thomas Douglas, . . ... 170 CHAPTER III. Mr "Walter Greig, ....... 186 XVI CONTENTS. Pagb CHAPTER IV. Mr Andrew Bruce — Mr James Gairns — Mr George Hay — Mr John Auchterlony, ...... i 218 CHAPTER V. Mr Andrew Bowie — Mr James Hay, .... 228 CHAPTER VI. Mr Thomas Kerr —Mr Thomas Stark — Mr John Stark — Mr Andrew Thomson — Mr John Thomson, .... 239 part JIF. History of the Pkikcipal Fa:viilies. CHAPTER i. The Lairds of Naughton, § 1. The Hays (First Family), § 2. The Crichtous and Balfours, §3. The Hays (Second Family), . § 4. The Morisons, . , CHAPTER II. 251 251 2G1 268 280 The Lairds of Balmerino, ..... 283 § 1. The Elphinstones, Barons Balmerino, . . 283 § 2. The Earls of Moray, and Stuarts of Balmerino, . 290 CHAPTER in. The Crichtons cf Bottcmcraig, ... 301 COXTEXT8. XVli Pagb CHArXER IV. The Starks of Ballimlpaii, ..... .304 CHAPTER V. Tie Balfuurs of Grange, ..... 307 CHAPTER YI. The Lairds of Birkh:ll, 312 § 1. The Lesleys and Learmonths, . . . 312 § 2. The Dicks, Camegies, and Alisons, . , . ,317 § 3. The Scrimgeour-Wedderburas, . . , 318 CONi'LUDIXG CHAPTER. 325 Mppcntsix, No. L Topo?-aphy of th? Pa ish. . . , , 336 IL Geoiogy of th- Parish, . . . . , 336 III. Botany of the Parish, ..... 339 IV. List of the Abbots, ..... 344 y. List of the Ministers from the Reformation, . , 345 VI. List of the Schoolmasters from the Establishment of the Parish School, ..... 346 VII. Alienation of the Abbey Lands, .... 347 VIII. Extract from Admiral "Wyndham's Despatch to Lord Grfy, dated 27th December 1547, ... 348 IX. "Rental of the Abbay of Balmerinoth," . , 349 X. Valuation of the Temporal Lands of the Abbacy of Balmer- inoch, within the Shire of Fife, in 1596, according to the •' Old Extent," ..... 356 XL Peter Hay's Address to King James VL, . . 358 CONTENTS. XII. " Taxt Koll of the Abbacye of Balmerinoch "—1617, . XIII. Feu-duties of the Barony of Balmerino — 1630, XIV. Valuations of the Teinds of the Parish — 1631, XV. Stent-Koll of. Heritors' Contributions for the Schoolmaster's Salary— 1G58, ..... XVI. Farmers and Kental of the Parish in 1691, XVII. List of Subscribers to voluntary Stipend for the Assistant- Minister in 1717, ..... XVIII. Farmei-s and Rental of Naughton Estate in 1812, XIX. Population of the Parish, .... XX. Variations in the Spelling of Balmerino and Naughton, XXI. Situation of Places not now inhabited, or whose Names are disused, XXII. Etymology of Karnes of Places, XXIII. Mr Hutton's Letter, describing the Abbey Ruins in 1789, XXIV. Genealogy of the Principal Families, XXV. Transmission of Property, INDEX, CORRECTIONS AND ADDITIONS, . Paqb 359 360 364 372 375 375 376 376 378 380 383 402 417 431 i^rf I HISTOEY OF THE PAEISH PEEVIOUS TO THE FOUNDATION OE THE ABBEY (1229). CHAPTER I. PEE-HISTOEIC PERIOD. " All that tread The globe are but a handful to the tribes That slumber in its bosom." Bryant. In attempting to trace the history of *' Our Parish" from the earliest times of which there exist any memorials, we are at the outset met by the questions, Who were its primi- tive inhabitants, and what can be learned regarding them 1 In order to give some intelligible answer to these questions, it wiU be necessary to view the Parish in connection with the surrounding district and the country at large. Preceding all written records of Scotland, there is an un- written, but, so far as it goes, perfectly trustworthy history, which is now attracting much attention. Materials for this history, strange to say, have been found chiefly underground. The ancient warrior had his weapons and personal ornaments buried beside him, as if for use in another world ; and to this custom we owe much of our information regarding the earliest inliabitants of Scotland. Thus from grave-mounds and stone- cairns, and also from peat-bogs, drained marshes and lakes, and remains of ancient dwellings, numerous relics have been obtained which give us interesting glimpses of a race, or races, who peopled these islands many ages before the Christian era. Archaeologists have divided this un- 4 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART written history into three periods, and these they have named from the materials of which were formed the imple- ments used hy the people. The oldest depositaries contain only weapons made of flint, horn, and bone, proving that the use of metal was then unknown; having been, doubtless, lost, as we know many other arts were lost, in the migra- tions of previous ages. This is called the Stoxe Period. Afterwards, when the art of working in metals was intro- duced, a compound of copper and tin was that lirst em- ployed, and the oldest metallic implements which have been found are of this material, which gives its name to the Bronze Period. The introduction of iron followed, and then commenced what is called the Iron Period. Each of those periods must have been of great length — how great there are not as yet sufficient materials for determining.* In the earhest ages burial was practised by depositing the body in a cist, or coffin, made of detached slabs of unhewn stone. Cists were of two kinds — the full-sized, and the short cist. In the latter the body was placed in a sitting posture, with the knees drawn up to the breast. The weapons placed beside the deceased were arrowheads, knives, celts or battle-axes, hatchets, and wedges, all made of ffint. A huge mound of earth was then heaped over the body. This is called a harrow, which may be described as a gigantic grave-mound. Sometimes an immense cairn of stones was raised over the cist. A third form of sepulchre was the cromlech, consisting of a large table or block of stone rest- ing on three or four unhewn columns, within which the body was deposited. The cromlech, hke the cist, had some- times a barrow raised over it, and both were occasionally surrounded with those circles of "standing stones" which are commonly called Druidical temples, though only some of them appear to have been used in connection with rehgious ♦ See Wilson's Pre- historic Annals of Scotland. 1.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE PARISH. 5 rites. Such monuments were, apparently, reserved for per- sons of distinction. At a later period, and probably contemporaneous with the introduction of bronze, was commenced the practice of burning the bodies of the dead, though not to the exclusion of former methods of interment. The ashes were now deposited in the cist, after having been collected into an urn made of stone or clay. During this period the huge barrows, cairns, and cromlechs were generally abandoned. The weapons were now chiefly of bronze, though flint was still used ; and the warrior's sword was broken and laid beside him in his grave. When the use of iron was subsequently introduced — perhaps by the Celtic race, whose smiths were famous in ancient times — bronze weapons gave place to those made of that material. From its liability to waste by rust, fewer im- plements of iron are found than of bronze. Along with the body of the dead chief were now buried his horses, harness, and dogs, with many ornaments of the precious metals, which have been found in considerable quantities. All over the country there are numerous remains of places of defence belonging to those remote ages. The ancient British forts were generally erected on the summits of hills ; many of them consisting merely of small circular mounds of earth and loose stones, within and around which flint arrows and other weapons have been found. That the people, some of whose customs we have thus briefly described, whether belonging to the Celtic or to earlier races, inhabited this district of Fife, is evident from the numerous memorials of them which have been found. Thus, at East Flisk and Belhelvie, at Starr and Drumnod in Kilmany parish, at several places in the parish of Forgan, at Parbroath and Balmeadowside in the parish of Creich, and at Creich Manse, there have been dug up, at various times, cists, urns, and calcined bones — some of them having been 6 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART inclosed -^-ithin cairns and tumuli.* In the last named parish there were found in 1816 small circles of standing stones at two different spots, which are supposed to have marked the tombs of distinguished chiefs. One of these monuments was, for better preservation, carefully removed by the Rev. Alexander Lawson to a spot behind his manse, where it may still be seen with the stones replaced in their original relative positions. It consists of two concentric circles, with a cylindrical stone in the centre. The outer circle contains tliirty-two, and the inner sixteen stones about a foot and a half in height ; those occupying the cardinal points being larger than the others. AYithin the circles there is a flag of freestone having rude carvings on it, under which human bones were found. The whole may be found described in Mr Lawson' s Statistical Account of the Parish of Creich, and figured in the Edinburgh Magazine of December 1817. On the G-reencraig, in the same parish, are two concentric circles of loose stones, one at the summit, and the other at some distance below, the remains of an ancient fort. An extensive fort may be traced around the summit of Nor- man's Law. In the highest part of Drumnod "Wood, in Kilmany parish, are three circles of standing stones of no great height, adjacent to each other. One of them, which is tolerably complete, is about forty feet in diameter. Last year there were found at Newport nine urns arranged in a large circle, and presenting the " zig-zag and herring-bone ornament" round their upper part. They were embedded in a mass of charred wood — no doubt the remains of the fires with which the dead bodies were reduced to ashes. In the parish of Balmerino there were, up to a recent period, several of those monuments of antiquity, though most of them have disappeared in the course of agricultural im- provements. On the summit of the Greenhill, near Cultra, there are still visible what appear to be the remains either * See the New Statistical Account of those parishes. I.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE PARISH. 7 of a small fort or of a cairn, which is said to have been once larger than at present. It is a circular mound of stones, about fifty feet in diameter, the outer ring being composed, in part, of large stones set on edge. A similar mound is said to have existed on the top of Airdie Hill, on the farm of Grange, before the ground was ploughed up. Between Eirkhill House and the Tay urns made of clay were found a few years ago. On Gallowhill, near the eastern boundary of the Parish, there were several cairns which, when cleared away, were found to contain urns, none of which, unfortu- nately, could be preserved. Some other cairns and grave- mounds, which are probably to be referred to a much more recent period, shall be noticed in a following chapter. CHAPTER 11. CELTIC PERIOD. " Peace to their shades I the pure Culdees Were Albyn's earliest priests of God, Ere yet an island of the seas By foot of Saxon monk was trod." Campbell. It is in the works of Csesar, Tacitus, and other Roman authors that the written history of our country begins. Julius Caesar invaded the southern shores of England in the year bo B.C., but he knew nothing of Scotland. It was not till the year 81 of the Christian era that the Romans under Agricola penetrated into the northern division of the island. The campaigns of this general are described and embelHshed by his son-in-law Tacitus in a most interesting memoir of /TaJK^X-^ 8 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART his life. About that period Scotland appears to have been inhabited by twenty-one Celtic tribes, of whom sixteen, who were called Caledonians, possessed the districts north of the Forth and Clyde.* The tribe who peopled Fife was the Horestii. In the year 83 Agricola, having crossed the Forth at Queensferry, attacked and vanquished this tribe at Loch On. He then proceeded to reduce Fife, and subsequently enrolled a large body of the conquered natives as his auxil- iaries — a plan resembhng that pursued by the British in India. It appears probable that the Eomans occupied our district of Fife. At Craigiehill, in the parish of Leuchars, there was laid bare in 1808 an earthen jar containing nearly a hundred Eoman coins of the reigns of Severus, Antoninus, and others.+ Near the village of Balnierino a silver coin of the reign of Tiberius was found in a good state of preserva- tion about forty years ago. J ^ The religion of the Celtic tribes was the same as that of the ancient Gauls, to whom they were allied in race. Their priests were called Druids, from a Celtic word signifying a sage. They taught the existence of one God, § whom they named Bel or Be'al, a word apparently akin to the Phcenician BaaL It is beheved that they did not bow down to idols. No "graven image," worshipped by them, has ever been found in our island. They beheved in the immortahty of the soul so firmly, that it is said they gave each other loans of money, to be repaid when they should reach the Island of the Brave — their so-called heavem They held the oak and mistletoe in great reverence ; and their temples were merely groves of oak trees, within which were eTecte,d circles * See Chalmers's Caledonia, i. 62, &c. The term Caledonia is differently applied by different authors. t New Statistical Account of Leuchars. X Small's Eoman Antiquities in Fife, p. 237. § See Alexander's lona, p. 29. Csesar (De Bell. Gall. lib. vi. c. U, 17), says that they held a plurality of gods. I.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE PARISH. 9 of " standing- stones," with a large one in the centre, on which, as some assert, they offered their sacrifices. On certain great occasions they filled with living human beings huge images of wickerwork, and then set them on fire to propitiate the Deity.* They had two great annual festivals. One was held on the first of May, which was the beginning of their year, when they kindled a large fire on the top of a hill in honour of the sun, which lum- inary they regarded as a symbol of the Deity. This festival was called Beltane, or fire of Bel, which was till recently in the Lowlands, and still is in the Highlands, the name for Mayday. Their other chief festival was called Sam- hainn, or fire of peace^ at which justice was administered, and disputes settled. It was held on what is now called Hallow E'en, which is still called Scmihainn in the High- lands — a proof how slowly ancient customs yield to change. About the year 364 the inhabitants of Fife appear under the name of Vecturiones, who, no doubt, were also Celts. Soon afterwards the name of Caledonians disappears from history, and the people are called Picts. Fife formed the most important portion of the Southern Pictish Kingdom, of which Forteviot first, and afterwards Abernethy was the capital, till the year 843, when the Pictish rule gave place to that of the Scots, and the name of Picts fell into disuse. In the year 685, the Saxons of IS'orthumbria, whose kingdom extended to the Forth, fought a battle with the Picts at a place called Dunnechtan, when Bridei, the Pictish King, slew Egfrid, King of the Saxons, and thus preserved to the Picts the dominion of Fife. Mr Leighton thinks that the scene of the battle was Naughton, in Balmerino parish ; t but Chalmers, the learned author of " Caledonia," and the best authorities, with more probability identify it with * Caesar, De Bell. Gall. vi. 16. t Swan and Leighton's Fife Illustrated. Art. Balmerino. 10 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART Dumiiclien in Angus, which is believed to be a corruption of Dun-I^echtan, the fortress of Nechtan* At what period the inhabitants of this district first received the Christian faith it is impossible to determine with certainty. We know, however, that their primitive clergy were the Culdees, a word derived either from a Celtic term cealdeach meaning a recluse, or monk, or from Gille De, which signifies servants of God. The conversion of the Pictish people of Fife, and the origin of their Culdee clergy, are by some of our old historians traced to St. Regulus, or St. Eule, and by others to St. Columba. According to the well known legend,t Regulus, bishop of Patrae, in Achaia, in the fourth century, having in his custody the bones of St. Andrew the apostle, was directed by an angel to sail with these relics to the west, and wherever his vessel should land, to build a church in honour of St. Andrew. He accordingly sailed westwards through the Mediterranean, and having reached the German ocean, he and his companions were wrecked in the country of the Picts at a place called Muckross, afterwards Kilrymont, and now St. Andrews ; but they succeeded in saving the precious relics. They afterwards travelled through the Pictish terri- tory, and founded churches at various places. The first place they visited was Porteviot. Thence they went to " Monechatu, which is now called Monichi," and from that to " Doldancha, which is now called Chondrochedalvan," situated beyond the " Moneth," an ancient name of the Grampians. Eeturning to Kilrymont, they dedicated a church there to St. Andrew, to which King Hungus, at the * Nevertheless Naughton may have derived its name from Nechtan (see Appendix No. xxii). + See Jamieson's History of the Culdees, Appendix ; and Pinker- ton's Inquiry, Appendix ; which give extracts from the Old Register of St. Andrews, now lost. The Register of the Priory printed for the Bannatyne Club is a different record. I.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE PARISH. 11 same time, gave a large territory as its " parish." This dis- trict is described as including " all the lands lying betwixt the sea called Ishundenema and the sea called Sletheuma, and in the adjacent pro\dnce, bounded by a line drawn from Largo to Ceres, and thence to Hyatnachten Machchirb, which is now called Hadnachten. [Xaughton]." Such is the legendary origin of St. Andrews, and of the Culdees of Fife. The editor of Sibbald's History of Fife interprets that author as asserting that one of the churches said to have been founded by Eegulus was at K'aughton, which he iden- tifies with the place called Doldancha or Chondrochedalvan ; and from this source has been derived the statement con- tained in several recent works that there was anciently an establishment of Culdees at Xaughton. But Dr. Adamson is here in error, having been misled by Sibbald's careless style and punctuation.* It does not appear that Sibbald ever intended to identify Chondrochedalvan with Naughton ; and if he did so, the extracts which he quotes from the Old Eegister of St. Andrews would not substantiate their identity. It is plain that Chondrochedalvan was somewhere north of the Grampians. Mr Skene supposes it to have been Kind- rochet in the Brae of Mar, which was dedicated to St. Andrew.t As to the value of the legend itself, that part of it which narrates the bringing of the relics of St. Andrew to Scotland is apparently fabulous. But from the circumstantial manner in which the latter part of the legend is told, it is difficult to avoid the conviction that it rests on a basis of facts. The * The error was occasioned by a comma being placed instead of a semi-colon after the word Chondrochedalvan. The passage occurs at p. 36 of Adamson's Edition. The same error exists in the original edition. t See Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, vol. iv. pp. 308-321, which contain a very full and able discussion of this subject. 12 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART lists of the Pictisli kings — whatever value is to be attached to them — contain no such name as that of Hungus in the fourth century. But there is a Hungus who reigns from 820 to 834 j and it was in all probability he who founded St. An- drews (where there certainly was a Culdee establishment in the ninth century), attached the above mentioned district to it, and adopted St. Andrew as the patron saint of Scotland.* TVe may therefore reasonably conclude that !Naughton was known by a name of which its present one is an abbreviation as early as the middle of the ninth century ; and that, though not then the site of a church, it was included in the district placed under the care of the Culdee clergy of St. Andrews. This is the first mention made of it in any writing, and it thus comes into notice hy name at an earlier period than any other place in this district. The origin of the Culdees, who were undoubtedly settled in Fife long before the ninth century, is more probably to be traced to the celebrated Columba and his followers, whose missionary labours, from near the end of the sixth century onwards, are well known. His clergy lived in monasteries, generally to the number of twelve in one place, besides the abbot ; but they practised neither the austerities nor the vices of Romish monasticism. They were not bound to celibacy, and were wholly independent of, and differed in many respects from, the Church of Eome. Their monasteries may be des- cribed as missionary colleges, and they had large gi'ants of land made to them. But their practice of transmitting the office of the ministry by hereditary succession, and other causes, eventually led to their degeneracy, and to their being supplanted by the Eomish monks and clergy. Whatever was the origin of the Culdees — for the name seems to have been applied to the early Christian teachers of Scotland generally — it is certain that they had an establish- ment at Abernethy more than two centuries earlier than that * Regulus probably lived in the ninth century. I.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE PARISH. 13 at St. Andrews is known to have existed; that is, towards the end of the sixth century.* It is a curious fact, however, that our knowledge of the state of Christianity in Scotland before the seventh century is much greater than during the four or five centuries following, which were ages of darkness and confusion. During that long period Scottish church history presents almost a complete blank, so that we are un- able to follow out the progress of Culdee evangelization. But it shall be shown in the sequel that about the end of the twelfth century the lands forming the original parish of Bal- merino probably belonged to the Culdees of Abernethy. At what period this connection of Balmerino with Abernethy began we know not, and it would be vain to form decided opinions as to the events of a period of six centuries of which so Httle is known. Yet it seems not an improbable supposi- tion that our Parish may have been Christianized by the Cul- dees of Abernethy long before Xaughton was placed under those of St. Andrews. We may at least conclude that it was from one or other of those venerable Christian establishments that the light of the gospel first penetrated into this district, and that the period was not later than the ninth century. I^ear the end of the tenth century the Danes, who harassed Scotland by repeated incursions on its coasts, appeared with a numerous fleet in the Tay; but after a fierce battle, with heavy loss on both sides, were defeated near Luncarty. Tra- dition asserts that during their retreat they were several times attacked by Kenneth III. on the south bank of the Tay, and, amongst other places, on an eminence west of the village of Gauldry, still called Battle Law, and compelled to take refuge in their ships. In confirmation of the tradition, cairns existed till recently on this field, which, when cleared * The seats of the Culdees are often indicated by the word Kil, or cell, as Kilmanyn, Kilconquhar. Whether the derivation of Kilburns in Balmerino parish is to be thus explained there are no means of ascertaininor. 14 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART away, were found to contain human bones. At the east end of Gauldry there were also several mounds called the "Graves," in which, when opened, were discovered "stone coffins" or cists, human bones, and broken swords. On the farm of Peasehills, about a mile and a half north-east of the Battle Law, and in the line of retreat which the Danes would prob- ably pursue, two ornaments of pure gold, valued at about £14 sterling, were found, the one in 1818, and the other in 1826. One of them was a ball, which appeared to have formed the knob on the hilt of a sword ; and the other, which is in the possession of Mrs. Morison of Xaughtou, is a hollow cylinder of a curved form, tapering towards each end, and having a rod of copper running through it, and three rows of raised reticulated work from one end to the other on the outer side of the curve. It probably formed an ornament on the helmet of some chief who had fallen in the retreat.* Cairns or mounds at the same place were found to contain several human skulls, each being enclosed in a square cist formed by four stones. Other antiquities, commonly assigned to the period of those Danish inroads, exist in the neighbourhood. ^N'ear the western side of the St Fort woods, in Forgan parish, there is an ancient camp still in excellent preservation. It is of an oval shape, and surrounded by two, and in some places by three, trenches. On the northern side it is further defended by a steep bank, with a small sheet of water at its base ; and on the south by a gentler decli^^ty across the Leuchars road. There are entrance- ways at both the east and west ends. Its traditional name is the "Danes' Camp."f To the same * Swan and Leighton's Fife Illustrated. New Stat. Ac. of Balmerino. t About fifty years ago a family named Henderson, claiming to be descended from a Dane, who, being wounded in one of those incur- sions, remained behind when the Danes retreated, left the parish of Forgan, where they asserted their ancestors had lived for eight hun- dred years. It was said that the family, wherever they removed, l] early history op the parish. 15 period are commonly assigned the forts on Norman's Law, and on the chain of heights running eastward from it, as well as several of the other prehistoric memorials which have been mentioned in a previous section. Some of them may, however, be of vastly older date. This opinion is much strengthened by the fact that the ancient British name of Norman's Law, now fallen into disuse, was Dunmore, meaning the *' great stronghold, or fortress," and pointing to a period probably long anterior to that of the Danish inroads. Popular explanation, seeking to account for things by the easiest method, frequently assigns such anti- quities to some event well known in history, with which they have, in many cases, been proved to have no connection. This remark holds true especially of sepulchral memorials, which are generally referred either to the Eoman or Danish periods, as if there had been no battles or deaths in this country till the Eomans or Danes landed on its shores. Most of the ancient forts, also, are more probably of British than of Danish origin, and older than the time of the Danish invasions. The native tribes had internal, as well as foreign foes to resist ; and it may be presumed that those who occu- pied the country for so many ages would leave more nume- rous traces of their presence than would mark the hasty in- cursions of strangers from beyond the seas. always caiTied the same headstone of their doorway with them. This heirloom has disappeared. The late Eev. Mr, Blair of Ferry- port-on-Craig had in his possession a sword which was said to have been handed down by the above mentioned family as that of their Danish ancestor. 16 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART CHAPTER III. CHANGE FROM THE GAELIC TO THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. " Mark ! how all things swerve From their known course, or vanish like a dream : Another language spreads from coast to coast : Only perchance some melancholy Stream And some indignant Hills old names preserve, When laws, and creeds, and people all are lost ! " WOEDSWOBTH. Till near tlie end of the eleventh century the predominant people of Scotland, according to the high authority of T}i;ler, were a Celtic race ; the laws were Celtic ; the government Celtic ; the usages and manners Celtic ; the Church Celtic ; the language Celtic. When the Scottish clergy assembled in a Council at St Andrews in 1074, under Malcolm Can- more and Margaret his queen, who was an English princess, they could not understand the language of her majesty, who was the chief speaker ; and the king, who, having been educated at the Enghsh court, understood both languages, had to act as interpreter. All the oldest names of places in this district, such as Balmurinach, Balindard, Bahndean, Ardint, are Gaelic words ; and the same is true of every part of the LoAvlands, no less than of the Highlands of Scotland. But about the beginning of the thirteenth century the lan- guage of this parish and district was Saxon or English. Thus in the Abbey Chartulary we find, in documents of that period, such words as Swansmire, Aldan's Well, Bridie's "Well, Langside, Scongate, which are English, as, of course, are all the still more recent names of places in the district. How did a change so remarkable come about ? l] early history of the parish. 17 The explanation seems to be that the new language was introduced by foreigners, chiefly from the south, who, about the beginning of the twelfth century, began to pour into the Lowlands of Scotland, and especially into Fife. These were mostly Saxons, but included also Xornians and Flemings, who, from various causes, were induced to settle in this country. Many of the strangers were of the rank of barons, who received grants of land from the crown, and brought their retainers vrith. them. Some assert that the Celtic population were by these crowds of new settlers pushed northwards into the Highlands, where their language is still retained ; but this may be doubted. It is more probable that the change of language was brought about by a process similar to, though more rapid than that which is in our own day introducing the EngUsh language into every district of the Highlands, and which is destined at no distant date to cause Gaelic to disappear. The town population were mostly of southern origin, and their language would gradually spread into the country districts, in which also many Saxons had settled.* This explanation, however, involves the theory that the ancient Pictish population of this district was a Celtic one, and that when the kingdom of the Scots, who were certainly Celts, was united with that of the Picts in the ninth cen- tury, the language and descent of the two peoples were so little different that they readily amalgamated. But some will have it that the Picts were a Gothic or Scandinavian race, akin to the Saxons who invaded England and the Lothians : that they settled in Scotland at a very early period, perhaps even before the Saxon invasion of the sister country : and that thus languages substantially identical grew up in both divisions of the island simultaneously. Our plan and * See Robertson's Scotland nnder her Early Kings, vol. U. Appendix E. 18 BALMERIXO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART limits will not permit us to discuss tlds vexed question, Who were the Picts 1 The subject has long been a battle- field for antiquaries ; and, as Tytler remarks, as much ink has been shed by the contending partizans as there was blood by the Komans. " There are some topics (says Mr Hill Bur- ton) which the temper and reason of the human race seem not to have been made strong enough to encounter, so in- variably do these break down when the topics in question are started. Of such is the question, To which of the great classes of European languages did that of the people called Picts belong 1 The contest, like a duel with revolvers over a table, has been rendered more awful by the narrowness of the field of battle, since some time ago the world just pos- sessed one word, or piece of a word, said to be Pictish, and now one of the most accomplished antiquarians of our day has added another."+ The opinion of the most competent judges is now, however, running strongly in favour of the Celtic character of the Picts, which theory, on the whole, does seem best to accord with the facts of the case. * The Scot Abroad, vol. I. p. 4. I.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE PARISH, 19 CHAPTEE IV. ANCIENT ESTATE, CHAPEL, AND CASTLE OF NAUGHTON. *' Blest is this Isle — our native Land; Where battlement and moated gate Are objects only for the hand Of hoary Time to decorate. " Wordsworth. About the beginning of the twelfth century the history of Scotland emerges from the obscurity of the preceding ages, and that of this Parish and district soon thereafter shares in the illumination. There are various facts which show that about the period referred to a new era has commenced. Be- sides the arrival of a foreign race (which has, not inappro- priately, been called the Saxon Conquest, though it was achieved by peaceful means), writing is now becoming common (though still practised only by Churchmen), and land is held by ^Titten tenures.* The people are all professedly Chris- tian, and the now effete Culdee establishments are everywhere giving place to the Romish system. From this period the Ee- cords of the various monasteries and bishoprics furnish many interesting materials for parochial history, which have not yet been turned to sufficient account by our local historians. From the Register of the Priory of St. Andrews and the Chartulary of Balmerino Abbey we obtain authentic notices of this Parish, by means of which we are able to understand the more general features of its civil and ecclesiastical state, and to make out a tolerably complete list of its landholders. These notices commence about the middle of the twelfth century. * See Innes' Sketches of Early Scotch History, p. 9. 20 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART In relating the facts we have gleaned we begin with those relating to Naughton, which is earliest mentioned. And here the subject of Parishes first presents itself It is somewhat uncertain at what period Parishes began to be formed in Scotland, but there is no doubt that they were generally knoAvn in the twelfth century. Till that time the ecclesiastical system of Scotland was monastic, not parochial; and the Culdee clergy lived together in humble colleges scattered over the country. The origin of parishes, tithes, and patronage was generally this — a landlord built a church for the people living on his estate (its site being often, as at Creich, close to his residence), endowed it with the tithes of his land, and nominated a priest to be its pastor, under the sanction of the bishop of the diocese. He and his successors thus became patrons of the church, and his lands constituted the Parish. This accounts for the irregular shape and frag- mentary character of many parishes at the present day. The Norman and Saxon settlers from the south were the great promoters of church building and endowment. The estate of Naughton, as appears from the St. Andrew's Priory Register, was anciently very extensive, and consti- tuted a " parish ** of the same name, whose church was how- * The tithes of the produce of the soil, being given away in per- petuity, formed, of course, no part of the inheritance of the donor's heir or successor, but constituted ever afterwards a distinct property set apart to sacred uses. Therefore the stipends of the clergy, being paid out of those tithes, are not now a "burden" on the proprietors of the soil. It is also to be observed that the Church was not origi- nally endowed by the State, but by the voluntary liberality of her members. The State but protected the Church in the possession of property given to her, just as it now protects anv Voluntary Church in the possession of such property. Many endowments are at the present day being conferred by pious individuals both on our Estab- lished and Voluntary Churches. It is to be hoped that a generation will never arise that shall desire the State to appropriate these en- dowments to its own use. I.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE PARISH. 21 ever called, perhaps from its situation, that of Forgrund, now Forgan.* Even down to the sixteenth century the barony of Naughton comprehended the superiority of a great part of the parish of Forgan, in which it was still included. In the twelfth century it was in the possession of a family, appar- ently Xorman, of the name of De Lascels, several members of which were benefactors of the Priory of St. Andrews. Alan, son of Walter de Lascels, grants to the Priory " two acres of his arable land in the parish of Xaughton,! viz., those two which are near to the ' vill ' of Culbakin [Cow- bakie] extending northwards from the road which leads from Alan's own vill to Culbakin ; with one acre of meadow land measured westwards from Culbakin, between the said two acres and the land of Malcrether belonging to the canons of the said Priory." The church of Forgan with its revenues (according to the system then practised of increasing the revenues of bishoprics and monasteries by granting to them the tithes of parochial churches), was first conferred on St. Andrews Priory by King David I. (1124-1153) no doubt on the usual condition that the Priory should supply it with a vicar. The gift was confirmed by Malcolm IV. (1153-1165), who also bestowed on the Priory a earucate (104 acres) of land in Naughton estate, called Melchrethre, mentioned above. This latter grant was confirmed by William the Lion and Alexander II., and by bishops Richard, Hugo, and Roger of St. Andrews, between 1163 and 1202. Both of these grants are also said in the same Register to have been made by Alan de Lascels, son of Alan already mentioned. Thus between 1188 and 1202, Alan, son of * Forgan is never called in the St. Andrew's Register by the name of St. Phillan's, which seems to have been conferred subsecjuentlj, when it became the practice to dedicate churches to Popish saints. t For the original spelling of Naughton, as variously given ia these charters, see appendix No. xx. 22 BALMERINO AKD ITS ABBEY. [PART Alan de Laacels and of his wife Juliana de Summerville, with consent of his own wife Amabilla, gives and confirms to the Priory " the mother church of his estate of I^anghton, viz., the church of Forgrund, with the chapel of ]!^aughton adja- cent to the said church." Bishop "Malvoisine of St Andrews (1202-1238) grants and confirms to the Priory ''the mother church of Naughton, with all its just pertinents, which Alan de Lascels granted to it, as his charter shows." There is further recorded in the Priory Register the testimony of Laurence, Archdeacon of St Andrews, that be had heard from trustworthy men that the church of Naughton had been formerly conferred on the Priory by a noble man, Alan de Lascels, its true patron, and that he knows that this gift was confirmed by Bishop Malvoisine. in charters of Peter Hay and others (to be afterwards noticed) it is repeatedly stated that the earucate of land, which had belonged toForgan church, was conferred on the Priory by Alan, son of Al-an de Lascels, It is not easy to reconcile those- statements with the original grants by David L and Malcolm lY. The explanation probably is, that the estate of Naughton belonged^ in the former monarch's reign, to the crown (whether by forfeiture or other cause) ; that King David th-en bestowed its church and tithes, and Malcolm lY. afterwards the earu- cate of land, on the Priory ; and that subsequently the King (perhaps "William the Lion) gave a grant of the estate to a family of ^N'oruian settlers (the Lascels), who then confirmed^ or repeated, the former gifts to the Priory of church, tithes, and land.* We have a notice of two of the incumbents of the church about the same time. Bishop Malvoisine admits, on a pre- * Tytler (Hist, of Scotland, chap vi.) says that David L conferFed on the monks of Scone the tenth of the cati of his cheese brought ia from his manors of Gowrie, Scone, Cupar [Angus}, and Forgrund. But whether the last of these places was Forgan in Fife, or Long- forgan (also anciently called Forgrund), does not appear. I.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE PARISH. 23 sentation by the Prior and canons, Richard Thouni to the parsonage (sic) of the church of Forgrund, who shall hold it, with the chapel of iSTaughton, its land, tithes, &c. ; reserving the life-interest of Gervasius de Nealfa, the vicar, who shall receive from Eichard twenty silver merks annually in name of pension. When or by whom this chapel of Naughton was built, we know not. In the Taxatio Antiqua, or Old Valuation of the church livings of the diocese of St Andrews, inserted in the Priory Register and others, and believed to represent a period as remote as the reign of King William, Naughton chapel is not mentioned, though Forgan church is.* If Sibbald be correct in fixing 1176 as the year to which the Valuation refers, we might conclude that the chaj^el was built between 1176 and 1202, at which latter date it cer- tainly was in existence. We are equally ignorant of the site of this chapel. The expression "adjacent to (a djacen- tem) the church of Porgan" might suggest the inference that it was in the immediate vicinity of that church, if not part of the same building ; and from the boundaries of Alan de Lascels' grant of two acres, it might almost appear that his own " vill" t and manor-house were near Cowbakie, and not where IsTaughton House now stands. But the language used is by no means decisive of either of these conjectures. There was anciently a chapel, called St Thomas's of Sea- mylnes, at ISTewport, but there is nothing to identify it with the " chapel of Naughton," though it would appear to have been within the barony of that name. It is more natural to suppose that Naughton chapel was near the western extre- * Forgrund church is there valued at 70 merks, of which 15 for the vicar ; Kilmanyn at 50 ; Logiemurthak at 20 ; Flisk, with its cha- pel, at 26 ; Creich, with its chapel, at 12 merks. It is reckoned that a merk would then purchase 14 bolls of oatmeal. t The vill was the cluster of cottages in which the serfs, or villeins (villagers), who cultivated their lord's lands, lived, near his resi- dence. 24 BALMERIXO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART mity of the estate, and intended for the use of the people residmg in that remote part of Forgan parish ; and that Kaughton, though scarcely to be recognized in some of the forms in which it was then written, denoted the place still called by that name. The " Grange of Xaughton" is also mentioned as belong- ing to the Priory of St Andrews, and is specified in Bulls of confirmation of the Priory lands by no fewer than five Popes between the year 1187 and 1254. Perhaps it com- prehended the lands of Peasehills, Byrehills, and Cathills, which, according to ^lartine,* anciently belonged to the Priory, though there is no mention of them by these names in the existing Eegister. This " Grange" must not be con- founded with the present Grange, or Xew Grange, which belonged to Balmerino Abbey. According to Sibbald,t Eobertus de Lundon built a tower on ^Xaughton rock, w^hich, from the difficulty of access to it on all sides, was admirably adapted for a stronghold in those turbulent times. When or how he got possession of the place does not appear : perhaps it was given by King William, when the estate of Xaughton was conferred on the De Lascels. He was a natural son of that monarch, and marry- ing the heiress of Lundiii, near Largo, assumed that name, and carried on the line of the family of Lundia or Lundie, which is now represented by Lord TTilloughby de Eresby, through his late mother, Lady Clementina Sarah Drum- mond. (For continuation of the history of Kaughton see Part lY. Chapter T.) • Reliquiae Divi Andreae. f History of Fife. I.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE PARISH. 25 CHAPTER y. ANCIENT PROPEIETORS AND CHURCH OF BAL]\IERINO. *' In the antique age of bow and spear, And feudal rapine clothed with iron mail, Came ministers of peace, intent to rear The Mother Church in yon sequestered vale." WOKDSWORTII. The first undoubted proprietor of Balmerixo whose name we meet with is mentioned in the Abbey Chartulary as Hv- ing in the time of William the Lion (1164-1214). Henry de Reuel received from that monarch a grant of Cultrach, with the customary feudal privileges and duty attached to it. Though Cultrach is alone mentioned in the grant, the barony of that name seems to have included the lands of Balmerino, Balindard, Bahndean, and Corbie, since the last three of those places are described in the Foundation Char- ter of the Abbey as " pertinents" of Cultra and Balmerino ; while in a charter obtained by Richard Reuel, Balmerino and Bahndard are stated to have been held by Henry Reuel along with Cultra. This Henry de Reuel married Margaret, daughter of Orm, who was the son of Hugh of Abemethy, with whom he got " a ten merk land of old extent, a mark being then a third of a pound weight of silver."* As we find Laurence, son of this Orm, afterwards resigning to Balmerino Abbey whatever interest he and his heirs had in the lands of Cultra, Balindean, ♦ Douglas's Peerage. 26 BALMERtXO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART Balindard, Corbie, and Balmerino* (whicli Henry Eeuel's heir had sold to Queen Ermengarde towards the foundation of the Abbey), we may conclude that it was these lands which came to Henry Eeuel as his wife's dowry, and that the crown charter which he had obtained was merely a charter of con- firmation. It thus appears that nearly all the lands forming the original parish of Balmerino were anciently included in the great lordship or territory of Abernethy. But this Lau- rence was Abbot of Abernethy, and seems to have held these lands as head of the Culdees there. He lived as a baron at Kerpul (Carpow), the old castle or mansion of the lords of Abernethy, leaving his duties as abbot to be performed by one of the Culdees called the Prior, and like later abbots and bishops, appropriating to himself the greater part of the church lands, t The Balmerino Chartulary shows that he was frequently at court. Mr. Innes considers that the an- cient Culdee house of Abernethy survived King David's church reform, and was still in existence ; having in Laurence its hereditary abbot, who styled himself, and acted as, lord of the abbey territory. In the Arbroath Register Laurence appears as gi-anting tithes ; and in the Balmerino Chartulary as giving away lands; in both cases asserting the subject of gift to be the inheritance of him and his heirs. J ALL this suggests the inference that the above mentioned lands in Balmerino parish were part of the ancient endowments of the Culdees of Abernethy. The family of Laurence assumed the local designation of Abernethy as their sirname. Henry de Eeuel and Margaret his spouse granted to the Priory of St. Andrews fifteen acres of land which are des- cribed as lying " north of C ultra, and west of the road lead- ing from Balmerino to C ultra, as perambulated by the said * Balmerino Chartulary, Nos. 1, 2, 3, 7. t See Miller's Arbroath and its Abbey, p. 33; and Quarterly Re- riew, vol. Ixxxv., p. 118. I Innes' Sketches, &c., p. 150. I.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE PARISH. 27 Henry, Eichard Eeuel bis nephew, Matthew the canon, and his 'good men;' and also the common pasture pertaining to that extent of land." * Amongst the witnesses to the charter are Ealph the chaplain (perhaps the incumbent of Balmerino Church), Josius (or Jocelinus) de Balindard, and Adam de Ardist; who are, in all probability, the "good men" {jorohi homines) who joined in the perambulation.f Adam de Stawel, brother of Eichard Eeuel, afterwards confirms the grant. This Eichard Eeuel, Henry's nephew, sometime after 1214, obtained from Alexander II. a charter of confirmation of his uncle's lands (Cultra, Balmerino, and Balindard being alone specified), with similar privileges and duty as before. He had also received previously from King William a grant of Easter Ardint, which was now likewise confirmed to him. If this was the same place as " Ardist " (now Airdie ?), Adam de Ardist was probably Eichard Eeuel' s predecessor in that property. J The duty attached to Henry Eeuel' s grant was that he should render to the king half the service of a knight (land being then held by mihtary tenure) ; and this was increased in Eichard Eeuel's case to the whole service of one knight. Along with their lands they acquired the usual baronial rights of sac and soo, tol and tehm, infangenethef, and jyit and gal- lows. These feudal terms signify the right of holding courts, deciding pleas, imposing fines, taking tolls upon the sale of goods, and punishing capitally the thief caught with the stolen property, or the homicide taken "red-hand," within the limits of the manor. The men were executed on gibbets, and the women were drowned in draw-wells, which all barons were ordained to make for these purposes. Every freeholder * St. Andrews Priory Eegister (Bannatyne Club Ed.) t The probi homines were the small proprietors and those of similar rank. X Balmerino Chartulary, No. 3. There is, however, an Ardit in Leuchars parish. 28 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART entitled to hold a court was tlien to a great extent a petty- sovereign within his own estate. The " Gallowstone " on the top of Cultra Hill* marks, no doubt, the place of execu- tion for those condemned to death in the court of the pro- prietor of Cultra or Balmerino, and in that of the Abbot's Bailie of later times; while "Gallowhill" must have been the place of doom for the barony of Xaughton, Another baronial pri^-ilege was the right of holding in bondage persons called vativi or velleiris, with their children ; a great portion of the rural population being still in a state of serfdom to the lords of the soil, and liable to be transferred, by sale or gift, along with the lands which they cultivated. Velleinage died out about the fourteenth century. Sometime before 1225 Adam de Stawel, brother of Eichard Eeuel, succeeded to his lands above mentioned. From this Adam's charter of resignation of these lands to Queen Ermen- garde in 1225 we obtain the first notice of "the Church of Balmerino," of which he was patron. We may presume that his predecessors also enjoyed the right of patronage, and that his lands constituted the Parish. This church is not men- tioned in the old valuation already referred to in conneetion with Xaughton ChapeL In the Foundation Charter of the Abbey it is called the " Mother Church of Balmerino," which mode of expression is usually employed in contrast to that of " chapel." But there is no mention of a chapel as attached to it in any of the records of that period. From a charter in the Arbroath Abbey Register, by which Laurence of Abernethy grants to that house, in the reign of King William, the whole tithes of the territory of Abernethy except those belonging to the churches of Flisk and " Cul- * Some years ago this stone was greatly injured in an att-empt by some persons in the neighbourhood to find treasure under it. It is said to have been previously twice its present size, and to have rested on several smaller blocks of stone ; in fact, to have resembled a crom- lech. Perhaps its later name disguises its earUer use. I.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE PARISH. 29 tram," and certain others, it would appear that there was an- ciently a church at, or at least of Cultra, if, as is probable, that is the place signified in the charter. Since the estate of Cultra seems to have included the lands of Balmerino and others, the " Church of Cultra " and the " Church of Balmerino ^ may have been one and the same — tlie Cliurrli of the estate of Cultra, whether situated there or at Balmerino.*. However this may be, the mention of the churches of Flisk and Cultra, as included in the terri- tory of Abernethy, confirms the view previously suggested, that the ancient parish of Balmerino (in which jSTaughton was not included), and we may now add, that of Misk, formed part of the endowments of the Culdees of Abernethy, having been in all probability Christianized by them at a very early period. We have notices of some other proprietors in the Parish about the beginning of the thirteenth century. Jocelinus de Balindaid, who witnesses the grant of land by Henry Eeuel to St. Andrews Priory, is also mentioned in the Balmerino Chartulary. The situation of BaHndard is now unknown. As it appears also amongst the possessions of the Eeuels, it was perhaps as their vassal that Jocelinus held it. There was another property of the same name in the parish of Arbirlot, Forfarshire, and it has been conjectured that it was a descendant of this Jocelinus who conferred upon that estate the name of the Fifeshire property of his ancestor.f John de Balindard died about 1280. His great-grandson, about 1350, exchanged his lands at Arbirlot for those of Carnegie in Carmylie parish, and hence the family name was * Thus the "-mother chiircii of Naughton/' or the "church of the estate of Naughton," and " the church of Forgrund," are used in the St. Andrews Prior j Eegister as convertible terms. The site of the ancient church, or churches, of Balmerino and Cultra is now un- known. t Jervise's Lands of the Lindsays, p. 193. 30 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART changed to Carnegie of that Ilk. The head of this family now is the Earl of Southesk, who is thus descended from the De Balindards, and, if the above conjecture be correct, Jocelinus is the first of the family of whom we have any genuine notice. Thomas de Lundin also possessed property somewhere about Balmerino. He bound liimself to pay to the Abbey of Cupar (Angus) one silver merk annually " out of his lands of Balmerino." For this he was allowed a place of sepul- ture at the door of that Abbey, where he was buried in 1231, as was also his more celebrated son Alan in 1275.* This family was connected with the Lundins, near Largo. In the reign of Malcolm lY. (1153-1166) two brothers, Philip and Malcolm de Lundin, received grants of land from the king ; the former, the lands of Lundie in Fifeshire ; and the latter, those of Lundie in Forfarshire. It was the heiress of Philip's line whom Robertus, natural son of William the Lion, already mentioned in connection wdth !N'aughton Castle, married. Thomas de Lundin was the son of Mal- colm. He held the office of Ostiariws, or Doorward, to King William, and also to Alexander 11. ; and hence his family took the name of Dorward, or Durward, which is still common in this district, though it has now descended to the humbler ranks of the people. By putting together the various facts we have thus gathered, we get a list nearly, if not quite complete, of the landholders of the Parish (as at present bounded) between six and seven hundred years ago — that is, in the latter half of the twelfth, and the earher portion of the thirteenth cen- tury. We shall here present them in one view : — Orm, son of Hugh of Abernethy, appears to have pos- * Jervise's Lands of the Lindsays, p. 193 ; and his Memorials of Angus and Mearns, p. 402. Chalmers' Caledonia, vol. i., p. 534. I.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE PARISH. 31 sessed, as the Culdee Abbot of that place, Corbie, Cultra, Balindean, Balindard, and Balmerino. These lands pass, in all probability with his daughter ^Sfargaret, to Henry deEeuel. His nephew Richard Eeuel afterwards succeeds to them, and, besides, acquires Easter Ardint, which was perhaps previously possessed by Adam de Ardist. He is succeeded by his brother Adam de Stawel, who is patron of the " Church of Balmerino," as were also, no doubt, the Reuels before him, Jocelinus appears to possess, perhaps as Henry Eeuel's vassal, Balindard. Thomas de Lundin, the King's Doorward^ possesses cer- tain lands about Balmerino. The estate of Xaughton (then in Forgan parish) is held by the De Lascels. ISTaughton Castle belongs to Bobertus de Lundon, who built it. St Andrews Priory has the "Grange of Naughton;" Naughton chapel ; fifteen acres of arable land, with pasture, lying north of Cultra, and west of the road leading thence to Balmerino; and (the time being, however, in this case uncertain) the lands of Peasehills, Cathills, and Byrehills, if these were not identical with the " Grange of Xaughton." "With the exception of the history of the Lairds of Xaugh- ton (for which see Part lY., Chap. I.), whatever is known concerning the Parish of Balmerino from near the beginning of the thirteenth century to the Reformation connects itself with the Abbey, in whose possessions the whole of the origi- nal parish was ultimately included. To the history of the Abbey we now, therefore, proceed. HISTOEY or THE ABBEY. CHAPTER I. THE MONASTIC SYSTEM. " Who with the ploughshare clove the barren moors, And to green meadows changed the swampy shores ? Thinned the rank woods ; and for the cheerful grange Made room, where wolf and boar were used to range ? Who taught, and showed by deeds, that gentler chains Should bind the vassal to his lord's domains ? — The thoughtful Monks, intent their God to please, For Christ's dear sake, by human sympathies," Wordsworth. A Monk (monachos) is one who seeks solitude, and the meaning of the word indicates the origin of the monastic system. In primitive times Christians were often com- pelled by persecution to retire into caves and deserts for safety. When the fury of their persecutors was abated, they did not always return to the world, but often preferred to continue in their retreats, spending their time in devotion and labour. But as the church fell away from its primitive purity, men and women began to choose this mode of life without any such necessity ; acting on the mistaken idea, that thus escaping the snares and temptations of the world, they could cultivate a purer piety than was otherwise attain- able. It was in Egypt that the monastic system began to be extensively adopted by Christians, after the example of the celebrated Antony. At first each recluse lived in his 36 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART own solitary retreat — some practising the most severe morti- fications ; but gradually they began to form communities, and to bind themselves by the most stringent vows. Monachism rapidly increased with the growing degeneracy of the times. It was zealously recommended and adopted by the most respectable names in the church ; and all over Christendom there rose up numerous monasteries which competed with each other for popular favour. To become a monk was deemed the height of piety : the next degree of merit was to endow a monastery with property or privileges. The prayers of so many good men assembled in one place were believed to have extraordinary efficacy ; and this was the only return asked by their benefactors. 'Men of rank frequently changed their high position, with all its anxieties and dangers, for the seclusion of the cloistral life, at the same time conferring their patrimony on the Eehgious House of their adoption. " Lance, shield, and sword relinquished, at his side A bead-roll, in his hands a clasped book, Or staff more harmless than a shepherd's crook, The war-worn Chieftain quits the world — to hide His thin autumnal locks where Monks abide In cloistered privacy." * An individual Monk could call nothing his own, but he enjoyed none the less the good things which were bestowed on the brotherhood as a corporation. The piety or supersti- tion of their admirers conceded to them not only the tithes of churches, but their richest lands, with rights of pasture, fuel, and fishing ; and built for them the most stately edifices which the age could produce. Thus they who had "wandered in deserts and in mountams, and in dens and caves of the earth," whose food had been the spontaneous * Wordsworth. IT.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 37 fruit of the soil, or the charity of the serfs among whom they lived, became, as years rolled on, the lords of fair Abbeys, -surrounded by fertile domains, commanding every luxury that plain and mountain, wood and river could pro- duce. No wonder that under such circumstances the bonds of discipline became loose, and that the world, whose pleasures they had renounced, gradually re-asserted its sway. There is abundance of evidence to prove that great laxity and cor- ruption eventually found their way into all the monastic Orders, but it is equally certain that the life of the cloister was much superior to that of the laity and secular clergy of the period. If w^e judge of the monastic system, especially in its later and worse aspects, (for a distinction must always be made between its earlier and later developments), by the more correct views of Christian duty which now happily obtain, and by its relation to such a state of society as now exists, we must utterly condemn it ; and to revive monkery at the present day, as some few of the English clergy earnestly desire, would be to counteract the best tendencies of our age, and to retrograde many centuries. The part of a Christian man is not to retire from the world, but, by remaining in it, to leaven society by his good example. " We need not bid, for cloistered cell, Our neighbour and our work farewell. Nor stiive to wind ourselves too high For sinful man beneath the sky: The trivial round, the common task, "Would furnish all we ought to ask ; Room to denv ourselves ; a road To bring us, daily, nearer God.'' But if we view the monastic system in connection with the ignorance and turbulence which prevailed throughout Europe in what are called the "Dark" and " Middle Ages," 38 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART our verdict will be a more lenient one. Along with many evils which were inseparable from a system so erroneous in principle, we must acknowledge that numerous benefits inci- dentally flowed from it, ere those new races which had overturned the Roman Empire, and involved Europe in in- tellectual darkness, acquired letters and civilization. That the system extended itself so widely proves that it suppHed to society a want then much felt. In those rude and law- less ages the Monasteries afforded the only available retreat to such as wished to escape from the cruelty of the despotic barons, or to nourish in peace their spiritual life. The Monks were then the greatest benefactors of society. They excelled in agriculture, in gardening, and the cultivation of fruit trees; and were the first to teach those arts to the peo- ple, when the lay lord knew only to consume the produce of the soil. Wherever they settled, they cleared the forests, drained the marshes, and converted the barren wilderness into cultivated fields. They were also the first to grant long leases on easy terms to their tenants, who were seldom or never called upon to serve as men-at-arms, at a time when every vassal was obliged to follow his lord into the field. !N^or were the possessions of the Monks liable to those sudden changes by forfeiture, death, or sale, which too often proved a source of suffering to the tenants of lay proprietors. In travelling over the country, " your approach to the Monas- teries could commonly be traced by the high agricultural impix)vements which they spread around them. The woods, enclosed and protected, were of loftier growth ; the meadows and cornfields richer and better cultivated ; the population inhabiting the church lands more active, thriving, and industrious than in the lands belonging to the crown or to the feudal nobility." * As the defenders of the poor against the rich, the enemies of slavery and private feuds, the Monks * Ty tier's History of Scotland, chap. vi. II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 39 were loved by the people in a manner we can but faintly realize. Their hospitality to wayfarers, when inns were as yet unknown, and their charity to the poor were alike cele- brated : and the needy and unfortunate never told their tale in vain at the convent gate. But the Monasteries performed still higher services. For several ages they were the sanctuaries of letters and religion. In the cloister Learning was diligently cultivated at a time when there is no evidence that any Scottish baron was able to sign his own name. Schools were attached to most monas- teries, and these were taught or superintended by the monks. It was the Monks, too, who preserved and handed down to ns the knowledge of the ancients. Before the art of printing was invented, they copied out in manuscript whatever books were deemed most worthy of preservation. Every monastery had its library of precious volumes, when libraries existed scarcely anywhere else. It is to the Monks, indeed, we owe, under Providence, the Sacred Scriptures themselves, which, but for their pious care and labour, would have perished in the Dark Ages. In short, but for the Monks (to quote the beautiful words of Mrs Jameson) " the light of liberty, and literature, and science had been for ever extinguished : for six centuries there existed for the thoughtful, the inquiring, the devout spirit, no security, no home but the cloister. There Learning trimmed her lamp ; there Contempla- tion 'pruned her wings;' there the traditions of Art, preserved from age to age by lonely, studious men, kept alive in form and colour the idea of a beauty beyond that of earth, — of a might beyond that of the spear and the shield — of a Divine sympathy with suffering humanity." Their direct depend- ence on the Pope, too, and the intercourse kept up constantly with Rome, and with the other monasteries of their respec- tive Orders throughout Europe, tended to spread intelligence. The Monks are also our earliest historians. The Chronicles which they kept, in the Latin language, of the most remark- 40 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART able events of general and local interest ; and their Cliartu- laries and Eegisters, in which they recorded their endow- ments, leases of land, and transactions in property, and also the ecclesiastical privileges bestowed on the brotherhood, form now the chief sources of our knowledge of the events of the ]Middle Ages ; and, indeed, are the oldest contemporary records of Scotland which we possess. CHAPTEE II. THE CISTEKCIAN MOXKS. ^^ Here Man more purely lives, less oft doth fall, More promptly rises, walks icith stricter heed, More safely rests, dies happier, is freed Earlier from cleansing Ji res, and gains withal A brighter crown* On yon Cistercian wall That confident assurance may be read ; And, to like shelter, from the world have fled Increasing multitudes. The potent call Doubtless shall cheat full oft the heart's desires : Yet, while the rugged Age on pliant knee Vows to rapt Fancy humble fealty, A gentler life spreads round the holy spires ; Where'er they rise, the Sylvan waste retires. And aery harvests crown the fertile lea," Wordsworth. As the Monks of Ba] merino were of the Eeformed Order * " Bonum est nos hie esse, quia homo vivit purius, cadit rarius, surgit velocius, incedit cantius, quiescit securius, moritur felicius, purgatur citius, praemiatur copiosius." — Bernard. "This sentence (says Dr Whitaker) is usually inscribed in some conspicuous part of the Cistercian houses." (Wordsworth's Kote on the above Sonnet). II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 41 called the Cistercian, it will be proper, before proceeding far- tlier, to give some account of this brotherhood.* The Cistercians derived their name from Citeaux (Cister- cium) in France, where the order originated in the year 1098, when Eobert, Abbot of Molesme in Burgundy, revived the strict observance of the rule of St Benedict. They rapidly increased in numbers and influence, chiefly through the exertions of the famous St Bernard of Clairvaux. This remarkable man is said to have founded no fewer than a hundred and sixty monasteries. Within a century from its rise the Order possessed eight hundred rich houses in difi'erent parts of Europe, and there were ultimately eighteen hundred monasteries dependent on the Abbey of Citeaux, besides an equal number of nunneries. The first Cistercian monks who settled in England fixed their establishment at Waverley, in Surrey, in the year 1128. The monks of Melrose were the first of the order introduced into Scotland, having been brought thither from the Abbey of Eievalle, in Yorkshire. The Cistercian order was divided into thirty provinces, of which Scotland was the twenty-sixth, embracing thirteen monasteries and a considerable number of nunneries. t Monks of this order were subjected to a very strict dis- cipline. They were obliged to perform their devotions (con- sisting of prayers, chanting, masses, &c.,) in the chapel, to- gether, seven times every twenty-four hours. 1. The Noc- turnal was performed at two o'clock in the morning. 2. Matins or Prime at six o'clock. 3. Tierce at nine o'clock. 4. The Sexte at twelve o'clock. 5. The None at three in the afternoon. When tliis service was over, those who * The account of the Cistercians which follows is, in the main, merely a condensation of that given in Morton's Monastic Annals of Teviotdale ; which is drawn from Manriquez: Annales Cisterti- enses ; Hutchison's History of Durham, &c. f Spottiswoode's History of Keligious Houses. Article " Cister- cians " in Encyclopedia Britannica, 8th Ed. 42 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART %Yished to go out beyond the precincts of the monastery had to kneel before the Superior, kiss the hem of his garment, and ask permission, which was seldom denied. 6. Vespers at six in the evening. And 7. the Covipline, which was said after seven o'clock. As the monks went to bed at eight, they had six hours to sleep before the Nocturnal began. If they betook themselves again to rest after that service, it was not reckoned a fault, but after Matins they were not allowed that liberty. At the tolling of the bell for prayers, they were immediately to leave off whatever business they hap- pened to be engaged in ; and even those who copied books, or were employed in any kind of writing, if they had begun a text letter, were not allowed to finish it. They were to fast every day in Lent till six o'clock in the evening. Dur- ing meals the Scriptures were read to them by one of the brethren, who performed this and certain other weekly offices by turns. After the Complme they were not allowed to talk, but went to bed immediately. They all slept in the same dormitory, which was a long room not divided into separate cells; and each monk had a bed to himself, furnished with a mat, blanket, coverlet, and pillow, which was prescribed to be only a foot and a half long. When any of them went abroad, they were obliged always to go two together, to guard and witness each other's conduct, and to prompt each other to good thoughts. (Hutchison's History of Durham, II. 67.) The Cistercians in course of time became infected with the abuses which had crept into the previous orders, and at a general chapter held in 1 1 S4 new regulations were passed wdth a view to suppress luxury. But they proved ineffec- tual, and many of those things which they were prohibited from doing or possessing came at length into acknowledged use. Thus they were forbidden to practise hunting, to pos- sess tithes, the patronage and revenues of churches, dues of milns, bond- servants, or even rents of land — rules which II. J HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 43 were subsequently disregarded, as were also many other sumptuary laws extending even to the ornamentation of churches, and the vestments of the ministers. It was directed that their monasteries should be situated in the most retired places. They were to live, moreover, by the labour of their own hands in cultivating the earth, and keeping cattle; and were forbidden to use the labour of others. Yet, upon the pretext of enabling them to live in greater retirement and abstraction from the world, they were allowed to admit into the community a certain number of lay brethren, sometimes called converts, whose office con- sisted in managing the secular business of the convent, in- cluding the cultivation of their land, in which they might also be assisted by hired servants. These lay brethren did not take the monastic vows, but in every other respect they were treated exactly like the monks. The dress of the Cistercians was a white cassock with a narrow scapulary, which was black. Over this they wore a black gown when they went abroad, but a white one when they went to church. They also wore hoods of plain cloth, fustian, or linen. The hood or cowl, like the scapulary, was black. Prom the prevailing colour of their dress they were called Monachi AIM, White Monks; while the other Benedictine orders, whose habit was entirely black, were styled Black Monks. "^ A shaven crown was the badge of all monks, whereby they signified their firm expectation of a crown of eternal life. All the churches of the Cistercian monasteries were dedicated to God, under the invocation of the Virgin Mary. With her was conjoined, in the case of Balmerino Abbey, the name of St Edward the Confessor. Their food was to be of the plainest kind. Flesh was * The Black Friars were of the mendicant order of Dominicans. The name friar (f rater) was generally given to mendicant monks, and was sometimes restricted to those who were not in priest's orders j the latter being called pater (father). 44 BALMERIXO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART allowed oialy to the sick. Even fish, eggs, milk, butter, and cheese, were not to be used on common days ; but were only allowed on particular occasions as pittances^ or dainties. None but their guests and the sick were allowed any other than broAvn bread. They might use the common herbs of the country, but pepper and other foreign spices were for- bidden. These regulations w^ere eventually much neglected. The method of admission was somewhat curious. The candidate, who was required to be at least fifteen years of age, having made his petition to be admitted, was, after four days, brought before the Abbot and a select number of the monks in the chapter-house, where he threw himself down with his face to the ground. Being asked by the Abbot what he wanted, he replied, "The mercy of God, and yours." Upon this the Abbot made him stand up, and explained to him the strictness of the rules, and the self-denial required in keeping them ; after which, he asked him if he was will- ing to submit to the restraints they imposed. Upon his re- plying in the affirmative, the Abbot again admonished him; and when he concluded with these words, " May God finish the good work that he hath begun in thee," all the rest who were present said, Amen, and the candidate bowed and re- tired to the guest-chamber. A similar ceremony was ob- served when he was again introduced into the chapter-house the next day, after having read the rules of the order. On the third day he was admitted into the cell of the novices, and began the year of his probation; during which he was instructed and prepared for taking the vows by a person called the Master of the Novices, who was usually one of the oldest and most learned of the monks. At the conclusion of the year of his noviciate, when it was considered that he had had a sufficient trial of their discipline and manner of life, he was again formally interrogated, and if he persisted in his request, he was then allowed to make his profession, and become a regular monk of the order, by taking solemn II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 45 and irrevocable vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience to his superiors. If he had property, he must give it all away. Every Cistercian monastery was to consist of at least twelve monks and their Superior, and no convent was peiinitted to send forth a colony to found a new monastery unless the community consisted of at least sixty monks, and unless license was obtained both from the General Chapter and from the Bishop. The Superior of the new establishment was bound to pay a visit to the parent monastery once a year, and the Abbots of all the Monasteries of the Order were obliged to attend the General Chapter held annually at Citeaux, their chief establishment, except those who were excused on account of their sickness or distance. Abbots in Scotland, Ireland, and Sicily, were obliged to be present only every fourth year. In some cases it was even allowed to send delegates. The Cistercians were zealous agriculturists. They were also at considerable pains to cultivate and promote learning, notwithstanding the prohibition of classical learning which the original rules of the order embraced. The transcribing of books was one of the principal occupations in all their monasteries. A certain number of the brethren were con- stantly employed in the Scriptorium, or writing-room, in making copies of the most esteemed works to furnish and augment the common library. They could not, however, write a new book without permission from the general chapter. Members of the brotherhood were severally set apart to certain offices within the monastery. The Cellarer superin- tended the storehouse, cellar, kitchen, and refectory or eating-room ; the Refedioner had charge of the furniture of the table in the refectory ; the wardrobe was committed to the Chamherlain; the vessels and ornaments of the church to the Sacrist or Secretarius; the distribution of food and clothing to the poor was entrusted to the Almoner; the sick 46 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART to the Infirmarer ; the wayfaring guests to the Hospitaller^ •who entertained them in the hospice, while strangers of rank were entertained by the Abbot. They had also a Chantor or Precentor^ a Librarian, a Treasurer, a Porter, who had a lodging at the gate, and other officials. There was a Master Builder in some monasteries ; and the monks also engaged in many useful and ornamental crafts to provide for the wants of the convent, besides their agricultural and gardening operations, to which they devoted special attention. The Master of the Novices and the lay brethren, or Converts, have been already noticed. The Bailie was the Abbot's deputy in the exercise of the civil and criminal jurisdiction, corre- sponding to that of a baron, which belonged to him as the temporal lord of the Abbey lands, and in \'irtue of which he could in certain cases even repledge a criminal from the Court of the Sheriff, or Clerk of Justiciary. This office was usually delegated to a layman of distinction in the neigh- bourhood, and, in later times, became almost hereditary in ^his family. The Cloistral Prior was the Abbot's deputy within the monastery, presiding in the choir, chapter-house, and refectory when he did not choose to be present himself, and performing the Abbot's duties during a vacancy.* Con- ventual Priors were those who presided over a party of monks detached from the monastery, and settled in a dis- tant place to take charge of their remote lands or rents. Over all was the Abbot, who ruled the monastery with an authority almost despotic. Both he and they were, however, accountable to the general chapter of the Order, whose deci- sions were, again, subject to review by the Pope. The Abbot had entire jurisdiction over the monks to punish them for crime, or transf^ression of the rules of the order. He lived * A Priory was a lesser, or inferior kind of monastery, and was presided over by a Prior. The Prior of St. Andrews, however, took rank before all the Abbots of the kinjidom. II.J HfSTORT OF THE ABBEY. 47 in great state in his private apartments, and sometimes in a separate house. He had servants, horses, hawks, and hounds. He had also a chaplain who, besides his spiritual duties, managed his household. The Abbot was chosen by the suffrages of the brotherhood, and in the case of Balmerino, as well as of all the Cistercian monasteries in Scotland, the Abbot of Melrose had a vote in the election. The ceremony of creating an Abbot consisted in clothing him with the cuculus or cowl, putting the crazier or pastoral staff into his hand, and the shoes called peddles on his feet. The Abbots of all Cistercian houses were exempted from the jurisdiction of the bishops of their respective dioceses, and placed in im- mediate subjection to the Pope. It was the policy of the See of Eome to attach to it the monastic orders by rendering them independent of all other control. At first monks were simply laymen, and were subject to the bishops and ordinary pastors. They went on Sundays to the parish church with the rest of the people ; or, if they were too remote, a priest was sent to them to administer the sacraments, till at length they were allowed to have priests of their own body. This, however, did not take place in Britain till as late as the eleventh century. The Abbot him- self was at first usually the priest, but his function extended no farther than to his own monastery, and he remained still in obedience to the bishop. But ultimately the monks were usually in priest's orders,* and the Abbot, besides being, in Cistercian houses, independent of the Bishop, sometimes received from the Pope the privilege of wearing the mitre,f and other episcopal insignia. Hence arose the dis- * Such were called regular clergy, because they followed the mo- nastic rule {regula). Those who were not monks were called secular clergy. t The Abbot of Dunfermline obtained this privilege from the Pope in 1244, and the Prior of St Andrews in 1417 — (See Bull in Prioiy Register, No. 412.) 48 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART tinction between mitred and croziered Abbots, the IqMqt wearing the crozier only. The bishop, however, could alone confer priest's orders on the monks. Whether the Abbots of Balmerino were permitted to wear the mitre does not appear ; but it is certain that they were Lords of Parliament, and their designations, though not their names, frequently occur in the lists of those who were present, which are pre- fixed to the pubKc statutes.* CHAPTER III. MONASTIC BUILDINGS AND BUILDERS. " Nor be it e'er forgotten how, by skill Of cloistered architects, free their souls to fill With love of God, throughout the land were raised Churches, on whose symbolic beauty gazed Peasant and mail-clad Chief with pious awe," Wordsworth. It is well known that most of our Abbey and Cathedral churches were built during the twellth and thirteenth cen- turies. Previous to the eleventh century the ecclesiastical edifices of Scotland, and even those of England, were, with comparatively few exceptions, constructed of wood. The introduction of a statelier style of architecture was connected with a singular chapter in European history. • See Acts of the Scottish Parliament, in 11 vols. fol. One instance occurs as early as 1289; another occurs in 1315, in a Parliament held at Ayr (Robertson's Index to Charters). There are many others in the 15th and 16th centuries. II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. , 49 In the latter half of the tenth century an opinion, founded on an erroneous interpretation of Eevelation xx. 2-4, was universally prevalent amongst the Latin Churches, that the destruction of the world was to take place at the end of a thousand years from the birth of Christ. As the time of this expected catastrophe drew near, a panic seized the minds of men. The land remained uncultivated ; private houses and churches were allowed to fall into decay, and were even in some cases pulled down, as being soon to become useless. Whenever an eclipse of the sun or moon took place, multi- tudes fled to rocks and caverns. Many personages of the highest rank sought admission into the monkish fraternities, upon which, at the same time, they bestowed all their posses- sions, with the view of appeasing the wrath of Heaven : while the humbler classes took refuge within and around the walls of churches, where alone they hoped to find security. Large numbers also hastened to Palestine, which, they beheved, would be the place of Christ's advent to judgment. Eut when at length the dreaded or hoped-for year passed away without any calamity, a powerful reaction set in. " As if men's minds had now reached the lowest point, there was a perpetual rise from this date. When the first day of the thousand and first year shone on the world, it seemed as if a weight had been removed. There were stirrings everpvhere for a new order of things. As if by universal consent, the first attention was paid to the maintenance of the churches — • those holy buildings by whose virtues the wrath of Heaven had been turned away. Everything was projected on a gigantic scale, with the idea of permanence brought forward, now that the threatened end of all things was seen to be postponed." * * White's Eighteen Christian Centuries. See also Mosheim, Tenth and Eleventh Centuries. Bloxam's Gothic Architec- ture, p. 94, loth ed. D 50 BALMERIXO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART The effects of this impulse, aided also by other influences, Tvere various and long continued. The erection and endow- ment of churches and monasteries went rapidly forward ; and the efforts made to satisfy the nobler aspirations now evoked, culminated in new and more magnificent styles of architec- ture. It was, however, more immediately from England tliat this impulse was communicated to Scotland. The union of Malcolm Canmore with the Princess ]\rargaret about the year 1070, which was the means of introducing into the northern kingdom many social changes, produced a similar effect in regard to church architecture. The change is visible in the nave of Dunfermline Abbey, which the queen founded in the town where her marriage had been celebrated. That portion of the structure, which is believed not to have been materially altered when the choir was subsequently re- modelled, and to be the oldest remaining specimen of the Eomanesque style m Scotland (of which Leuchars Church is another, though a later example), shows both a great advance on the previous architecture of the country, and a striking similarity to the style prevalent in England during the same period.* The movement thus begun by the saintly Mar- garet was zealously continued by her sons Edgar, Alexander L, and David I., who devoted their energies to the overthrow of the now degenerate Culdees, and the substitution of Komish monks, priests, and bishoj^s, with majestic Cathedral and Abbey Churches, and all the materials of a splendid form of worship. King David especially was forward in this work. He founded, or endowed, no fewer than fifteen mon- asteries, besides many bishoprics — a prodigality which drew from one of his royal successors, James I. of Scotland, the bitter complaint that he was " a soir sanct for the Crown." f * See Wilson's Prehistoric Annals of Scotland, p. 607. Blox- am's Gothic Architecture, p. 178. t David " wrought a change in ecclesiastical aflfairs almost as great as that which was subsequently accomplished by Knox. He in il] history of the abbey. 51 It was, however, one of the best means which could then be adopted for civilizing his semi-barbarous subjects. The noble and wealthy of the land, and especially the new Saxon and Korman settlers who had received grants of land from the Crown, hastened to follow these royal examples ; and so vigorously was the building of churches and monasteries for a long period carried on, that, as an old historian remarks, the worship of God could with difficulty be performed, on account of the noise of hammers and trowels. This spirit of enthusiasm, indeed, pervaded all classes : — " By sucli examples moved to unbought pains, The people Avork like congregated bees; Eager to build the quiet fortresses Where Piety, as they believe, obtains From Heaven a general blessing; timely rains Or needful sunshine; prosperous enterprise, Justice and peace." * It is believed that those magnificent structures, whose ruins now cover the land, and excite so much regret in the mind of every lover of art, were the work _^of Free-masons, •who, according to the best established accounts, originated in the ^liddle Ages, and travelled about from one country to another as their services were required. This opinion is strengthened by the fact, that many, and even close resemb- lances, can be traced both in the plans and minute details of structures remote from each other. Whenever an Abbey or Cathedral was to be erected, a lodge of Free-masons, governed by their own laws, and enjoying important privileges, settled in the neighbourhood. The oldest masonic lodges in Scot- land are said to be those of the towns which contained some effect built up that which Knox, when it was in a state of decay, "" pulled down. He drove out the now antiquated Culdees, and intro- duced prelates and priests : Knox cast out the prelates and priests, and brought in Protestant preachers." — (Cunningham's Church History of Scotland, I. 145). * Wordsworth. 52 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART early and important Church or Abbey, with which they are understood to be coeval.* The designers of those splendid buildings were, however, generally the Monks and Church- men themselves, who were devoted to the study of architec- ture, as well as of the various arts connected with the orna- mentation of churches. The completion of an Abbey was generally the work of a lengthened period. Additions were made from time to time according to the necessities of the monastery, or the funds at its disposal. The general ground-plan of those structures was nearly the same in all. In the erection of the Church, which was usually in the form of a Latin cross, having its greatest length running from east to west, it was customary to commence with the head of the cross, or east end, and to finish the Choir, as that portion of the building was called, as soon as possible for the celebration of divine service. The Transepts, or arms of the cross, were next added, and the building was then frequently closed in by a temporary wall to the west ; while the lower portion of the cross, or !Nave, and the Tower, which was usuall}^ placed at the point w^here the transepts intersected the main body of the build- ing, were sometimes not erected till long afterwards. Bal- merino Abbey was commenced soon after the year 1225. We have no details regarding the progress of the erection of the Church, further than that it must have been so far ad- vanced in 1233 as to admit of its Founder's interment before the High Altar, which took place there in that year. The Cathedral Church of St Andrews is known not to have been finished till 158 years after its commencement. Such delay admitted of every portion being executed in the most tasteful and substantial manner ; but it also led, in many instances, like that of St Andrews Cathedral itself, to a diversity of style in the several portions of the same edifice, owing to * See TVilson's Prehistoric Annals, p. 639. Tytler's History of Scotland, chap. vi. II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 53 the fashion having meanwhile changed. The Abbey Church would not be dedicated till its completion, of the date of ■which we are ignorant.* Besides the Church, the other prin- cipal buildings of the Abbey consisted of a Chapter-house, Re- fectory, Dormitory, Cells, Abbot's house, &c., most of them surrounding a quadrangular area, which, in other monas- teries, was usually on the south side of the nave of the Church, but was here, no doubt after the example of Mel- rose, on the north side. We shall reserve farther descrip- tion of the buildings of the monastery till, in a subsequent chapter, we can view them in connection with the existing ruins.t CHAPTER lY. FOUNDATION OF THE ABBEY. ABBOT ALAN. "A House of prayer and penitence — dedicate Hundreds of years ago to God, and Her Who bore the Son of Man ! An Abbey fair As ever lifted reverentially The solemn qui^t of its stately roof Beneath the moon and stars." "Wilson. "We now proceed to relate the history of the Abbey, arrang- ing our materials, so far as possible, in chronological order under the names of the successive Abbots. Queen Ermengarde, the second wife and the widow of AVilliam the Lion, and the daughter of Eichard, Earl of Bellomont, or Beaumont, seems to have once, or oftener, taken up her residence at Balmerino for the benefit of her •Arbroath Abbey, begun in 1178, was dedicated in 1233; and Cupar and Xewbattle Abbeys in that year also, t See Fart II., chap. XIL 54 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART healtli. During lier mariied life she is said to hare exer- cised a very beneficial influence upon her royal husband, and the events of his reign. Her usual residence now was Forfar ; the lands and castles of which, according to Hol- lingshead, were given her by her son Alexander II. towards her maintenance, " because she determined to remain during the residue of her life in the place where that holy woman Queen Margaret sometime led her life." It would seem, therefore, that it was as a summer residence, and on account of its salubrity, that she frequented Balmerino. We know not how or where she was lodged ; but Balmerino must have at that period contained some edifice — perhaps the manor- house of its proprietor, Adam de Stawel — suitable for so distinguished an occupant. Here she resolved, in accord- ance with the religious ideas of the time, and influenced by gratitude for the benefit which her health had received, and, no doubt, also by the amenity and retirement of the situa- tion, to found a Cistercian monastery. The monks are often accused of having selected for themselves the best and most fertile situations of the country, but the truth is, that the choice was generally, as in the present instance, not theirs, but that of their pious benefactors, whose design was to de- vote to the cause of religion, as they understood it, the best they possessed or could procure. In the year 1225, Adam de Stawel was, as heir to Henry and Eichard de Eeuel, the proprietor of the lands of Cultra, Balmerino, and Ardint* (most of the lands of the Parish, as then existing, being included under these names), and also patron of the Church of Balmerino. On the first Sunday after the festival of St Dionysius of that year, he resigned, hy staff and haton,f to the Queen, in her son's court at For- * Easter Ardint in Eichard Eeuel's charter. t Perfustem et haculum. Land was anciently conveyed hy the de- livery of a stick or straw, or clod of earth, in the presence of a num- ber of witnesses. II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 55 far, the above-named lands, with the patronage of the Church, that she might apply them to whatever use she pleased, without opposition from him or his heirs : in con- sideration of which Her Majesty agreed to pay him a thou- sand merks* at the "Temple of Lundin," in two equal instal- ments ; the receipt of which money he afterwards acknow- ledged hy his letters-patent, t The possession of these lands now enabled the Queen to fulfil her pious design. Probably one of her first acts was to execute, in 1227, a charter conveying the Church of Bal- merino, and its revenues, to the new monastery. J The build- ings were speedily commenced, and before the end of the year 1229, when they were first taken possession of by the Monks, they must have been so far advanced as to embrace at least an oratory, a refectory, a dormitory, a strangers' cell, and a porter's lodge, which, by the rules of the Cistercian order, were required to be ready in a new monastery — as were also the books necessary for Divine service — before the brethren could be settled in it. The original colony of Monks came from the Abbey of Melrose, whence they set out on the 13th December 1229, under their first Superior, Abbot Alan. § It would, no doubt, cost the worthy recluses a considerable effort of self- * Land was valued in the 13th century at from 10 to 13 years' purchase. t Balmerino Chartulary^ Nos. 4, 5, 6. t A leaf of the MS. Chartulary, part of which is torn away, seems to have contained such a charter, dated 1227. Had it been entire, it would, no doubt, have furnished us with some interesting informa- tion about Balmerino and its ancient church. Its being torn out is a suspicious circumstance, and suggests the inquiry. By whom, or why? §-Chron. Mailr. p. 141, Bannatyne Club Ed. " Anno Domini Mccxxix. facta est abbatia Sancti Edward! de Balmorinac a rege Alexandro et matre ejus ; et missus est illuc conventus de Melros^ cum domino Alano Abbate suo, in die Sancte Lucie virginis." 56 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART denial to quit the lovely valley of the Tweed, and the parent monastery of their Order in Scotland ; possessing, too, such variety of attractions, and consecrated by so many saintly associations ; to go forth to a residence new and incomplete, in a district to which most of them were probably total strangers. But we can imagine their glad surprise when, after a long and toilsome journey, they reach the crest of the high ridge overlooking Balmerino, and the magnificent pa- norama suddenly bursts upon their sight. Before them is the majestic Tay " Rolled down from Highland hills, That rests his waves, after so rude a race, In the fair plains of Gowrie .... Yonder to the east, Dundee, the gift of God" reposing under the protection of its "Law." Beyond are the Braes of the Carse and the Sidlaw range, encircling, by a wide sweep, this foreground of smiling plain and sparkling estuary ; while, in the back-ground, tower up against the sky the lofty peaks of the distant Grampians. Let us hope that when the pilgrim Monks beheld this noble prospect, of its kind scarcely surpassed in Scotland, and which was henceforth to be daily in their view ; and when their eyes lighted on the romantic spot selected for their own abode, low down by the margin of the Tay, and girt in by the sur- rounding heights — thus afi'ording that seclusion so much sought by the Cistercians — they would deem Balmerino no bad exchange even for "fair Melrose" itself, the choice of such a situation evincing the taste, no less than the piety of its royal and widowed Founder. We may feel assured that the satisfaction of the good Cenobites would be more than equalled by that of the inhabitants of the district, who would regard them with affection and veneration. Great would be the joy and ex- II. I HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 57 citement when the rustics saw them approaching — perhaps in solemn procession, and with chanting * — and at length entering their new quarters. If there were serfs remaining on the lands now the property of the Abbey, they, too, would rejoice in the prospect of the freedom, or, at least, the improvement of their condition, which would result from their connection with the Monks. The arrival of the peace- ful brotherhood would, indeed, be the great event of the time, throughout the whole length of the district between Lindores and St. Andrews. "We have no information as to the number of the monks who formed the Convent at the commencement, or in the earlier periods of their history. We have seen that the smallest number allowable by the rules of the order was twelve, besides the Abbot. Under the first Abbot of the neighbouring monastery of Lindores, there were twenty-six monks, f In the Priory of St. Andrews there were, according to Martine,J thirty -four canons, besides numerous servants and dependants : but the number would, of course, vary from time to time. Some other monasteries contained a still larger number. A feu-charter, signed by the Abbot and convent of Balmerino in 1537, contains fifteen names. Other similar documents subsequent to that period, have fewer signatures appended ; but there is no reason to suppose that any one of them was signed by all the monks, some of whom were in charge of the distant possessions * " The Silver Cross, which ye, instead Of martial banner, in procession bear ; By Augustin led, They come — and onward travel without dread, Chanting in barbarous ears a tuneful prayer — Sung for themselves, and those whom they would free !" (From Wordsworth's Sonnet, on the arrival of St. Augustiu in England.) + Fordun's Scotochronicon. X Reliquiae Divi Andreae. 58 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART of the monastery, while others might be labouring under infirmity. Besides, the Eeformation being at hand, their number was then, in all probability, less than during the earlier periods, when the House was at its greatest strength. Perhaps we shall not greatly err if we suppose that the monks of Balmerino were nearly equal in number to those of Lindores at the period above-mentioned. Besides the monks, there would be a considerable number of converts. Queen Ermengarde's project was, from its very commence- ment, warmly seconded by her son Alexander II. jS'ot only did he aid her by his advice, and by interesting himself in the erection of the monastic buildings, but by liis own liber- ality he added very considerably to the endowments of the rising house.* Indee(J his benefactions were fully as great as those of his mother. About the time of its foundation he conferred on the Abbey the lands of Barry, anciently called Fethmoreth, Fethmure, or Fettermore, which then belonged to the cro-RTi, and where he himself was residing in the spring of 1229. This valuable grant included the whole parish of Barry, except thirteen acres which had previously been bestowed on the Abbey of Arbroath. Xor was King Alexander's liberahty, as we shall see, exhausted by this splendid gift. The Foundation Charter was not executed till the 3d of February 1230-31.t It runs in the King's name. We shall give a translation of this document entu^e, as a specimen of the deeds by which property and privileges were usually * " Monasterium fundavit Ermergarda memorabilis foemina, Alexandre filio non solum consulente, sed et adjuvante et pro- movente aedificia, munificentia in Eeligiosos inexhausta." — (Father Hay's MS. Scotia Sacra, in Advocates' Library, quoting the Liber de Cupro.) + Chartulary, No. 1. Boece erroneously assigns the honour of founding the Abbey to William the Lion, and calls it Abermoroen- ochtum. HoUinshead follows him as to the founder. II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEF. 59 conveyed to the Monastery. The dates of -those charters, being not always given, are sometimes matter of conjecture only. The charters are generally attested by numerous wit- nesses, whose names are set down in the order of their rank, bishops and abbots taking precedence of temporal barons. Though the witnesses Avere present, it was, no doubt, the scribe who wrote down their names, as few laymen, at least in the earlier periods of the Abbey's history, could practise an art which was then thought suitable only for churchmen. The benefactions are usually stated to be given in pure and perpetual charity to God and the Blessed Mary, St. Edward, and the Monks of the Cistercian order serving God at Bal- murynach ; and for the welfare of the souls of the donor and his family, his ancestors and descendants, and sometimes of the Queen, her husband, and son. The names of persons and places are, as in all ancient documents, frequently spelt different ways even in the same charter. In cases of sale or contract the seals of both parties, or that of one of them, or of his burgh, if he was a citizen, was usually affixed. Foundation Charter. Alexander, by the grace of God, King of Scots, to the Bishops, Abbots, Earls, Barons, Justices, Sheriffs, Provosts, Ministers, and all good men, both clergy and laity, of his whole kingdom, greeting : Let this and future generations know that we, for the honour of God, and of the glorious Virgin Mary, and of the most holy King Edward, and for the exaltation of holy religion ; for our own salvation, and that of all our ancestors and descendants ; and for the souls of the illustrious King William our father, and Queen Er- mengarde our mother, and of all our predecessors and suc- cessors ; have founded an Abbey of the Cistercian order at Balmuryuach in Eyff ; and that to the Monks of that Order { 60 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART •who are, and shall ever "be, serving God there, we have given and granted, and by this our charter have confirmed, the ■whole land of Cultrach and Balmurynach in Fyff, with all their pertinents — viz., Ballindan, and Ballindard, and Corbi,* according to their just boundaries. [We have also granted to theni the Mother Church of Balmurinach, with all its per- tinents], t and all things justly belonging to the said lands : which also Adam de Stawel, brother and heir of Eichard Keuel, quit-claimed to us, in our full court at Forfar, towards the enterprise of the lady, Queen Ermengarde our mother, and, hy staff and baton, resigned, for himself and his heirs, in our hand. We have also granted to the said monks of the Cistercian order, towards the foundation of the fore- named Abbacy, Fethmure in Anegus, according to its just boundaries, with all its just pertinents. And we and our heirs will maintain and warrant to the said Monks the fore- said lands, with all their pertinents and liberties, for ever against all men. Wherefore our will is, that the said Monks have and hold from us and our successors all the foresaid lands in free, pure, quiet, and perpetual charity, in respect of lands and waters, meadows and pastures, moors and marshes, dams and mills, roads and footpaths, saltworks and fishings, and all other privileges justly pertaining to the said * Ardint is not mentioned in this charter, though it was acquired by the Queen. t The bracketted words are not in the printed Chartulary, nor in the MS. from which it is taken. They are to be found in a fac simile of the Foundation Charter printed in Anderson's Diplomata, from a copy furnished him by Lord Balmerino, and also in a copy printed in "Illustrations of Scottish History from the Twelfth to the Sixteenth Centuries," in the Maitland Club series. Dugdale's Mon- asticon Anglicanum, vol. ii. p. 105, contains a copy communicated by Sir James Balfour, and differing in several words from the printed Charter. It wants the bracketted words. There are copies of documents Nos. 5 and 6 of the Chartulary in the Acts of the Scottish Parliament, ed. in 11 vols, folio. II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 61 lands, as freely and quietly, fully and honourably, as any other charity is held or possessed in the kingdom of Scot- land : exempt from aids, armies, taxes, tolls, and all secular exactions, customs, and services, so that none soever of those things can be demanded from them throughout the whole kingdom of Scotland, except their prayers alone. Witnesses — Andrew, Bishop of Moray ; Walter Cumin, Earl of Meninteh ; Walter Olyfard, Justiciary of Laodonia ;* Walter, son of Alan, High-Steward and Justiciary of Scotia; Earl Patrick ; Henry de Ballol ; Thomas de Haya ; John and Walter, his brothers ; Thomas, son of Randulf ; Galfrid and William de Xithyn, our clerks. At Clacmanan, the third day of February, in the seventeenth year of our reign. f The liberality of the Queen and her son was speedily imi- tated, though in a lesser degree, by others. Four small benefactions were made to the Abbey soon after its founda- tion. Richard de Leicestria grants a piece of ground in the Sadlers' Street, Perth, subject to an annuity of two and a half merks to himself during his lifetime. Walter, son of Alan, High-Steward of Scotia, grants another piece of ground in Perth, subject to a reddendo of two pounds of pepper, and * The country south of the Forth was at this time called Laodonia, and that north of it, Scotia. t This charter makes no mention of the right of free regality, or feudal jurisdiction, though it had been previously granted to the Reuels. But this right was certainly possessed by the Abbey at a subsequent period, and would be conveyed when the Abbey lands, as such, were erected into a barony or baronies. In 1561 the lands of Balmerino, Petgorno, and Barry were each a distinct barony — (Abbey Revenue in MS. in Advocates' Libraiy). When they were made baronies, if they were Qwer formally so made, does not appear. Tytler, MTiting of the thirteenth century, says that free regality may be presumed, on strong grounds, to have been enjoyed by every religious house in the kingdom — (History of Scotland, chap, vi.) A charter by Abbot Robert to Sir Peter Crichton of Naughton in 1539 mentions " our barony of Balmurinach." 62 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART an equal quantity of cumin annually, which was afterwards remitted by his son Alexander. Laurence, son of Widon, sells to the monks a piece of ground in Perth, and in 1289 John de Murray bestows another piece adjacent to it, in the "^^^atergate. Davit de Lyndsay of Erenweuill (in Ayrshire), grants an annuity of twenty shillings from his mill of Ker- chow (or Kirkhuet), for furnishing a repast pifancia) to the monks on the anniversary of " Ermengarde of blessed me- mory." This is confirmed by the king on the 28th March 1233.* The good Queen had the satisfaction of seeing the building and endowment of the Abbey thus far advanced before her death, which took place on the 11th February 1233.f She was buried at Balmerino, J before the high altar of the Abbey church, § the King her son, and, doubtless, many of his nobles, being present at her interment. || She thus found a resting-place similar to that of her husband in the Abbey of Arbroath, which he had founded. All this was in strict ac- cordance with the ideas of the time. The Queen's death and burial are thus related by Wynton, Prior of Lochleven, in his " Orygynale Crony kil of Scotland," under the year 1233 :— " And the yhere neyst foluand, Ermygere, quhylum of Scotland * Chartulary, Nos. 19, 20, 22-27, 30. t There seems to be no good reason for TumbuH's assertion that the terms of the Foundation Charter induce the inference that the Queen was then (3d Feb. 1230-31) dead. The Chron. Melr., Wyn- ton, and Fordun assign her death to 1233. X Chron. Mailr., Balfour, "V^''ynton, Balmerino Chartulary, App. No. II. g Spottiswoode's Religious Houses, quoting a copy of Laurence de Abernethy's charter different from that in the Chartulary (No. 7), which does not mention the fact, though it is on all accounts pro- bable. II Balmerino Chartulary, App. No. II. II.] HISTORY OP THE ABBEY. 63 Queyn, the Kyng Williamys Wyf, Deyd, and endyd had hyr lyf. Of Balmwrynach in hyr day Of Mwnkis scho fowndyt the Abbay ; Thare wes hyr body wyth honoiire Enteryd in halowyd sepulture." Xot content witli spending a thousand marks during her lifetime on an undertaking which she had so much at heart, the Queen, by her will, directed her executors to pay two hundred merks more to Laurence of Abernethy, brother-in- law of Henry Eeuel, in order to purchase from him a renun- ciation of his interest in the lands of Cultrach, " Balnedan," " Balindart," " Cortiby," and Balmurynach. He accordingly executed a deed, by which he quit-claimed, for himself and his heirs, all right which he and they had, or could have, in those lands. It was witnessed by the King, several bishops, abbots, and other high functionaries.* After his mother's death, Alexander II. continued to show his interest in the House, and made several visits to it. Thus we find him at Balmerino on the 9th April 1234, when he grants a charter remitting to the monks a yearly payment due to himseK from a burgage in Crai], which tliey had pur- chased from certain of the townsmen there. f On the following day, by a charter given at Balmerino, the King bestows on the Abbot and Convent the privilege of holding their lands of Balmerino and Barry " in free forest." This valuable grant included the right of hunting, hawking, and killing all kinds of game. The charter also shows how strictly game was preserved even in those remote times, since it declares that any one found cutting trees, or hunt- ing in the above mentioned lands, without permission from the Monks, should be subjected to the very heavy penalty of " full forfeiture " of ten pounds. On this visit there were * Chartulary, No. 7. t Chartulary, No. 35. 64 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART present at Balmerino, along with the King, the Bishop of Glasgow, Chancellor ; the Bishop of Dunblane ; William, son of Alan, High-Steward and Justiciary of Scotland ; Lau- rence of Abernethy, and others.* C* The King is again at Balmerino on the 31st of August of ij, the same year, accompanied by the Bishop of Moray; Alex- ander Cumyn, Earl of Buchan, Justiciary of Scotland ; Patrick, Earl of Dunbar ; Sir Xicolas Sowl, and Sir William Earn say, when he gxants a charter confirming to the monks the lands of Ballindan, Cultrath, and Corbi (which the King • calls his lands), according to their just boundaries, which are thus described : — " Beginning at the east side, viz., at Car. nedcn, and proceeding along the Motrich, according to its ancient course, as far as the stream which runs from the Dolle ; and thence ascending by the southern stream to the well; and ascending from the well northwards and upwards to the hill ; and thence proceeding westwards to Mierkip ; and thence along the ridge of the hill to the marsh on the east side of Creych [at Hazleton ?] : and thence descending by the ancient course of the stream in Corbiden to the water of Tay." These boundaries seem to be identical with those of the parish, on the south and west, at the present day.t Probably on the same day His Majesty confirms to the monks a grant of land which had been previously given them by Symon de Kynner. Symon's charter describes it as a piece of land in the 'territory' of Catholach (Kedlock), called Eeginald's land, including the hill called Tor Catho- lach. + It conveys to the monks also the right of keeping two hundred sheep on the common pasture there ; and if it should be insufficient for so many, Symon and his heirs shall make good to the monks the deficiency from his 'lordship' of Catholach. « Chartularv, Xo. 8. f Chartulary, No. 56. X In 1623 certain lands at Kedlock were termed the lands of Prior Cathlok, indicating, probably, the fonner residence there of a Prior who took charge of the Abbey lands. II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 65 Hugo, chaplain of Kilmany, is one of the witnesses to this charter.* In 1235 the King confers another benefit on the monks. As early as 1230 an agreement had been entered into be- tween them and the monks of Arbroath, " for confirming peace for ever " with each other, whereby Balmerino Abbey was to pay to Arbroath "in good faith, and without any evil intentions," the tithes of any lands which the former Abbey might have in any parish whose church belonged to the latter, according to their value at the time of entry. This agreement, no doubt, referred chiefly to the case of Barry, the lands of which now belonged to Balmerino Abbey, but the church and its revenues to Arbroath Abbey, on which they had previously been conferred by "William the Lion. But monks always tried to evade the delivery of their tithes in kind to another Eeligious House, and to get a composi- tion accepted in lieu of them. Accordingly the tithes of Barry were at some date previous to 1233, with consent of the Bishop of St Andrews, surrendered by Arbroath Abbey to that of Balmerino, for a fixed payment, by the latter, of forty merks annually. Matters were in this state when the King came to Balmerino on the occasion of his mother's funeral. He then promised to relieve the monks of Balmerino from the above yearly payment, by providing an equivalent to Arbroath from another source. Accordingly, on Christmas day, 1235, His Majesty, being then at St Andrews, confers on Arbroath Abbey an extensive tract of land in Aberdeenshire. A charter is next granted by the monks of that House setting forth that since the King " loving vnth a special afi'ection and favour both Monasteries, the one rendered illustrious by the tomb of his father, and the other by that of his mother," has * Chartularr, Xo. 39, The date of the confirmation is 31st Angnst 1244, but this is, perhaps, an error of the scribe. E 66 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART provided an equivalent for the forty merks, they now release tlieir brethren of Balinerino from the payment of tliat annual sum, and surrender to them the church of Fethmureth with all its rights ; and undertake to be responsible for all episco- pal and other burdens attaching to that church ; it being understood that the chaplain who shall serve the cure shall have the bovate of land (thirteen acres) formerly assigned to him, as perambulated by Jocelyn of Balindard and Nicolas of Innerpefir.* It appears, however, that Arbroath Abbey still retained the patronage of the church of Barry, now a ♦ vicarage; and several presentations to it, of the years 1463, 1489, and 1533, are inserted in the Register of that house.f It will be proper here to explain the origin of this practice of conferring the revenues of churches upon Eeligious Houses. In early times of persecution, properly qualified persons could not always be obtained to supply the many vacant churches. In such cases a congregation was commended to the care of some neighbouring pastor, hence called the Com- mendator, who also managed the church's revenues for the intended minister, but received no part of them for his own use. In course of time, however, Commendators began to appropriate the revenues, and, Avith a view to this, rather re- tarded the appointment of a pastor to a vacancy. At length the Popes authorized the practice that a clergyman might possess in commendam other benefices besides his own, and should be obliged to give only a small part of the revenues to the priest who performed the duty in his stead, and who was hence called the vicar. The latter was, however, in all cases responsible to the bishop of the diocese (whose consent was necessary before a church could be given away in com- mendam) for the discharge of his spiritual duties. In some • Chartulary, No. 9, Appendix I., II., III. t The patronage of Barrv afterwards passed into the hands of the Commendators of Balmerino — how, it does not appear — and thence to Lord Balmerino. n.J HISTORT OF THE ABBEY. 67 cases the vicar was maintained by a very small money stipend, in others by the lesser tithes,* and occasionally by a share of the great tithes of corn. Generally, the Commenda- tor drew the great tithes. It became, eventually, a common practice to increase the endowments of bishops and monas- teries by granting to them churches in commenclam, whose re- venues they drew on condition of supplying vicars to perform the parochial duties.-}- The parochial system was not long in operation in Scotland ere its efficiency was greatly im- paired by this practice. In the reign of William the Lion, no fewer than thirty-three parish churches were thus be- stowed on the recently founded Abbey of Arbroath. The revenues of Lindores Abbey seem to have been mainly de- rived from a similar source. The interests of the parishioners were thus sacrificed to the splendour of the prelates and of the religious houses, in consequence of the degraded and dependant position of the incumbents, if Eventually, Abbeys themselves were given away in commendam to bishops, and even to laymen. Balmerino Abbey, as we have seen, acquired at its found- ation the church of Balmerino. It now obtained that of * The lesser tithes consisted of hav, calves, lambs, fish, eggs, fruit, butter, cheese, &c., according to the character of the subject tithed. Sometimes the vicar got a third of the tithes. t See Cook's History of the Reformation, I. 58. X To so great an extent was this practice carried, that, at the time of the Reformation, the church of Flisk was the only rectory (its in- cumbent being thence called the parson of Flisk) in all this district. The others were all vicarages, having been bestowed on some bishop, college, or religious house. Kilmany was given to St Salvador's College, St Andrews ; Creich to Lindores Abbey ; Dunbog to Arbroath Abbey ; Moonzie to the Ministry of Scotland "Well ; Logie and Balmerino to Balmerino Abbey ; Leuchars and Forgan to St Andrews Priory. There were but eight rectories in all Fife at the Reformation, and 700 of the 1000 (more or fewer) churches in Scot- land were vicarages. — (Keith's History). 68 BALMERIXO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART Barry. At some future period, wliicli must have been sub- sequent to the reign of Pope Innocent IV., (1242-1254:) since his Bull of protection makes no mention of it, it ac- quired the church of Logie-Murdoch.* That is to say, the Abbey drew the tithes, offerings, and other revenues of those churches, and (with the exception of Barry) supplied them with vicars, who. were accountable to the bishop for the dis- charge of their spiritual duties, and were maintained either by a small money stipend, or by the lesser tithes. The case of Balmerino church was peculiar, inasmuch as the whole parish was Abbey property, excepting some minute portions which would seem to have been afterwards acquired by it. Here the Abbey Church would serve as the Parish church. There would be no payment of tithes, since the Abbey stood in the place of rector, landlord, and tenant, t One of the monks would, in all probability, be appointed vicar of the Parish. It may be supposed that the bishop would insist on this, especially as the servants and tenants of the Abbey increased in number. There is, however, no notice of such an official in any of the existing records of the monastery ; nor is there any mention of the old Parish Church after the settlement of the monks at Balmerino. Most probably it was allowed to fall into decay. Abbot Alan ruled over the Convent only six years and a few months, and died on the 28th of June 1236.J He is * The ancient valuation of Logie Church was 20 merks. There were, however, glebe lands in addition to this. — (Books of Assign- ation). t It resembled, in this respect, Melrose, where the Abbey lands in- cluded " all that formed the parish at the Eeformation, and now. The Abbey church served as the parish church. Here there was no rector and vicar, at first no landlord and tenant ; and more remark- able still, no tithes. The monks were proprietors and cultivators, parishioner and parson." — (Innes's Sketches of Early Scotch His- tory, pp. 12, 13). X Chron. Mailr., p. 147. II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 69 said to have been esteemed " the most learned man of his age,"* and it was, doubtless, this rejjutation which procured for him the honour of being appointed the first Abbot of Bal- merino. In what departments of learning he excelled we are not informed. This would be worth knowing ! CHAPTEE V. ABBOTS RALPH, JOHN, AND ADAM I. " Not sedentary all: there are who roam To scatter seeds of life on barbarous shores ; Or quit with zealous step their knee-worn floors To seek the general mart of Christendom ; Whence they, like richly-laden merchants, come To their beloved cells." Wordsworth. Abbot Alan was succeeded by Ralph, who, before his ele- vation to the government, had been Cellarer of the Abbey. He ruled longer than his predecessor, having lived till 1251. A large addition was made to the Abbey property in his time, and the Original Bull for the protection of its privi- leges was obtained from Eome. Malcolm, Earl of Fife, granted to the Convent all the water running from his mill of Eathillet by its ancient course to the mill of Ballindan, as in the time of Henry and Richard Reuel ; and also the right of digging turf for repairing the channel when necessary, without injury to the Earl's arable or meadow land. The names of some of the witnesses to this .* " Consecravit initia nascentis domlis S. Alanus Abbas, vir sua aetate doctissimus." — (Father Hay's MS. quoting the "Liber de Cupro "). 70 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART grant, of whom the King is the first, prove that it must have been made not later than 1238.* Soon after that period the Abbey acquired the lands of Petgornoc and Drundol, at, and near Strathmiglo, to be held in free charity after the decease of the countess Marjorie, the King's sister, who had obtained these lands from Malcolm, Earl of Fife, in exchange for those of Strathurd and Strath- braun, given her by King William as her dowry. The charter by which the Abbey acquired these lands is in the form of a grant, or confirmation, by King Alexander II. ;f but it is most probable that in this His Majesty only gave effect to the wishes of the Countess Marjorie herself, just as his mother's benefactions to the Abbey had been previously expressed in his own name. The Countess was the youngest of the three daughters of William the Lion by Queen Ermen- garde. JShe was celebrated for her beauty, and made a deep impression on the heart of Henry III. of England, who was only prevented from marrying her by reasons of state. She was subsequently (1236) united to Gilbert the Mareschal, the youthful Earl of Pembroke, and died without issue. Though removed to England, she was not unmindful of the land of her birth, nor of the Abbey founded by her mother, and, in all probability, directed that the above-mentioned lands in Eife, previously acquired, doubtless, with that "sdew, in exchange for her former more distant possessions, should, after her decease, be added to the grants made by her mother and brother. The names of the witnesses determine the date of the King's charter to have been between 1240 and 1249. As the exchange of the lands referred to took place so nearly at the same time as the preceding grant by Earl Malcolm, perhaps they formed parts of the same transaction. This extensive grant included the lands now called Sted- muirland, Friarmyln, Kincraigie, Pitgorno or Pitgormo, * Chartulary, No. 37. '' Rathillet Meal Mill " still pays lis. lOd. of feu-duty to F. A. Stuart, of Balmerino. t Chartularv, No. 10. II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 71 Craigfod or Freeland, Drumdriel, and Gaitside. At the last-named place the monks afterwards built a chapel, which they dedicated to the Virgin Mary, for the benefit of the western part of the parish of Strathmiglo, and more espe- cially, we may suppose, for their own use, and that of their servants. It stood in a den or hollow at the west end of the village of Gateside, where a rivulet joins the Eden, and which was called the Chapel Den, as a well near by was called the Chapel Well. The village was anciently called the Chapeltown of the Virgin ; and the lands there are de- scribed in old writs as " the chapel lands of St Mary of Dun- gaitsyd," or as "the aikers of land of Sanct Marie's Chappel callitGaitsyd."* About the same period as the above, Eoger de Quency, Earl of Winchester, and High Constable of Scotland, grants a portion of his " peatery" in his moss of Swanismire, " be- ginning at the place where the stream which issues from Aldaniswell falls into Swanismire, and proceeding north- wards across it to the marches of " (the rest of the document is wanting.) f That the monks should be kept warm and comfortable, seems to have been a ruling idea in the generous soul of this Earl Eoger^ for we find him grant- ing to Lindores Abbey a right to as many peats for the Convent's own use as they chose to take from his peatery of Menegre, and also to two hundred carts of heather annually from his moor of Kinloch.J His grandfather, Eobert de Quenci, a Northamptonshire baron, who, like so many of his countrymen, had settled in Scotland, acquired the lord- ship of Leuchars by marrying Arabella, daughter of Ness, its Celtic owner, in the reign of King William. It was probably Seyer, the father of Earl Eoger, and one of the " Magna Charta" barons, who built the Anglo-Norman, or * Swan and Leighton's Fife Illustrated, article Strathmiglo. t Chartulary, No. 38. X Chartulary of Lindores, App. No. III. 72 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART Romanesque Church of Leuchars, part of which still exists, being perhaps the oldest building in this district of Fife. Their Castle was close to the site of the present village. Between 1242 and 1254 John, Earl of Huntedon, grants to the Abbey a toft in Dundee ; and about the same time the monks acquired by purchase a piece of ground in the town of Forfar.* The Abbey being now fully established, and liberally en- dowed, it became necessary to obtain Papal confirmation of its privileges and possessions, which was then considered essential to every religious enterprise. This was therefore applied for to Pope Innocent IV. — Abbot Ealph in all proba- bility undertaking a special journey to Eome for that purpose • — and obtained in a Bull of which the date is not given; but as Innocent lY. filled the Papal chair from 1242 to 1254, and another Bull of the year 1246 seems to have been granted to the Abbey subsequently to this, it is, apparently, to be fixed between 1242 and 1246. On account of the importance of this document,! as illustrative of the privileges of the Monas- tery, we must, notwithstanding its great length, give a trans- lation of it without abridgement. Original Bull of Protection. Innocent, Bishop, servant of the servants of God, to his beloved sons the Abbot and brethren, both present and future, of the Monastery of Balmurynach professing a regUr lar life. It is proper that the Apostolic protection be given to those who choose a religious life, lest perchance any in- * Chartularj of Balmerino, Xos. 31, 36. The object for which they purchased property in the towns, as here at Forfar, and for- merly at Perth and Crail, was probably that the Abbot might have a hostelry or lodging-place in those towns when he went thither either to attend the king, or on the business of the convent. See a following page for a notice of such a place in Dundee. t Chart ulary, No. 58. II.J HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 73 discretion either draw tliem off from their purpose, or (which heaven forbid !) impair the strength of their sacred vows. "Wherefore, beloved sons in the Lord, we mercifully assent to your reasonable demands, and take under St Peter's pro- tection and our own, and fortify by this ordinance the Monastery of the Holy Mother of God and Virgin Mary of Balmurynachj in the diocese of St Andrews; in which you are given up to divine obedience. In the first place, we ap- point that the monastic Order which is selected for institu- tion in that monastery, according to God and the Eule of St Benedict, and the discipline of the Cistercian brethren recognised by us after a general Council, be there inviolably preserved in all time coming. Moreover, let whatever pro- perty, whatever goods the said jNIonastery may at present justly and canonically possess, or can in future acquire by the concession of Popes, the bounty of Kings, or the offering of faithful princes, or in other just methods, by the favour of God, remain sure and unimpaired to you and your suc- cessors. Of which things we have reckoned the following worthy of express mention : — The Place itself in which the said Monastery is situated, with all its pertinents of Cultran, Balmurynach in Piff, Ballindan, Ballindard, Corby, and Fet- mureth in Angus, Thorcatloch in Piff, Petgornoch, and Drundole — these lands, ^vith the pertinents thereof : houses which you have in the towns of Karal [Crail], St Andrews, Porfar, Dunde, Perth, and Eokisburg,* with the pertinents thereof: and the revenues which you have from the church of [Pethmureth in] Angus; with meadows, vineyards,t lands, * The Abbey property in St Andrews and Eoxburgh is not else- where mentioned in the Chartulary. t The mention of vineyards here may be a mere customary form; but the vine was anciently cultivated in the open air in some parts both of England and Ireland. Vineyards were attached to many monasteries. Documents in the Record Office particularize the names and wages of the vine-dressers, and methods of wine-making. (See C. K. Smith's Collectanea Antiqua, Part 11., Vol. vi.) 74 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART woods, customs and pastures, thickets and open grounds, waters, mills, roads, and b3^e-paths, and all other liberties and immunities. Let no one presume to demand or extort from you tithes of your newlj^ reclaimed lands which you cultivate with your own hands, or at your own charges, of which no one has hitherto received tithes ; nor from your gardens, underwood, fishings, and animals' food. It shall be lawful also for you to receive as converts, free and un- fettered, clerical or lay persons fleeing from the world, and to retain them without any contradiction. Moreover, we forbid any of your brethren, after making his profession in your Monastery, to depart thence without permission of his Abbot. But let no one dare to detain a person departing, without the authority of your common letters. But if any shall presume so to detain him, it shall be lawful for us to publish a regular sentence against sucb Monks or Con- verts. We strictty forbid either lands, or any other gift conferred on your church, to be given to any one in his individual capacity, or to be alienated in any other way, without the consent of the whole Chapter, or of the major or wiser part of it. But if any donations or alienations have been made otherwise than as now stated, we pronounce them void. We further forbid any Monk or Convert bound under the profession of your House, without the consent and license of the Abbot, and the majority of your Chapter, to be surety for any one, or to receive money in loan from any one beyond the sum fixed by the foresight of your Chapter, unless for the manifest advantage of your House; which, if perchance he may have presumed to do, the Convent shall in no degree be held responsible for it. Moreover, it shall be lawful for you to make use of the testimony of your breth- ren in your own causes, whether involving a civil or criminal inquiry, lest, through defect of witnesses, your right in any- thing should be lost. We further forbid by Apostolic autho- rity any bishop, or other person, to compel you to go to II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 75 Synods or public Assemblies, or to submit to a secular tri- bunal in respect of your substance or possessions; nor may he presume to come to your Houses * for the purpose of con- ferring Orders, handling causes, or calling any public assem- bly; nor impede the regular election of your Abbot; nor in the least degree interfere with the appointment or removal of him who for the time may have been in office even against the rules of the Cistercian order. But if the bishop in whose diocese your House is built, when requested, with becoming humility and devotion, to pronounce his benedic- tion on the Abbot submitted to him, and to bestow upon you the other things which pertain to the episcopal office, shall refuse, it shall be lawful for the said Abbot, provided, how- ever, he has completed his own noviciate, to give his bene- diction, and exercise the other functions of his own office, and lawful for you to receive from another bishop all those things which were unjustly denied you by your own. More- over, in receiving those professions which are made by Abbots who have been, or are to be blessed, let Bishops be content with that form of expression which is known to have been in use since the foundation of the Order, so that Abbots themselves, in making their professions to the Bishop, shall be bound to preserve the privileges, and to make no profession contrary to the Statutes of the Order. Let no one dare to extort anything from you on pretence of custom, or in any other way, for consecrations of altars or churches, or for holy oil, or for any ecclesiastical sacrament ; but let the diocesan Bishop supply all those things free of charge. Moreover, it shall be lawful for you to apply to whatever Catholic Bishop, being in favour and communion with the Apostolic See, you may prefer, who, under protection of our * That is, to come uninvited, under pretence of conferring Holy Orders, &c. The bishop, when asked, consecrated the newly-elected Abbot, ordained monks, &c. (as below), but he had no control or jurisdiction over them. 76 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART authority, may supply to you what is demanded of him. But if the See of the diocesan Bishop happen to be vacant, you may in the meantime receive freely and without contra- diction all the sacraments from the neighbouring bishops ; provided, however, that no prejudice shall thence afterwards arise to your own Bishop. But since you have sometimes not the resource of your own bishop, if any bishop having, as we have said, favour and communion with the See of Eome, and of whom you have full knowledge, should hap- pen to pass by you, you shall have power to receive from him, as by the authority of the Holy See, benedictions of vessels and robes, consecrations of altars, and ordinations of Monks. Moreover, if Bishops, or other rulers of churches, shall publish sentence of suspension, excommunication, or interdict against the Monastery, or persons placed therein, or even against your liired servants, on the alleged plea that you have not paid your tithes, or on account of those things which have been conceded to you by Apostolic kindness ; or shall pronounce a similar sentence against your benefactors, because, out of charity, they have conferred some benefits or indulgences upon you, or helped you in your work on those days on which you were labouring while others were keeping holiday, we have decreed that such sentence, pronounced in opposition to the indulgence granted you by the Apostolic See, shall be void. Nor shall those letters have any force which may happen to have been ob- tained by concealing the name of the Cistercian Order, and in opposition to Apostolic privileges conferred. Moreover, when there shall be a general interdict laid on the country, it shall be lawful for you, nevertheless, after excluding ex- communicated and interdicted persons, to perform Divine service in your monastery.* We, wishing, with paternal solicitude for the future, to provide also for your peace and * When the Pope placed a province or country under an inter- dict, all the churches were shut, no marriage could take place ex- II ] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 77 tranquillity, prohibit by Apostolic authority within the in- closures of your Places, or Granges, all rapine or theft, fire- raising, bloodshed, rash seizure or slaying of men, or vio- lence. Moreover, we confirm by Apostolic authority, and fortify by this Ordinance all liberties and immunities granted to your order by our predecessors the Eoman Pontiffs ; also liberties and exemptions from secular exactions granted you by Kings and princes, or, for good reasons, by others of the faithful. We therefore decree that it shall not be lawful for any one soever rashly to disturb the said Monastery, or to take away any of its possessions, or to retain them when taken away ; to diminish them, or to annoy it by any vexatious acts ; but that all things which have been granted for any future purpose whatsoever shall be preserved entire for the discipline and maintenance of its inmates, reserving the authority of the Holy See. If, therefore, any ecclesiasti- cal or secular person, knowing this Writ of our constitution, shall attempt rashly to contravene it, let him, after being twice or thrice admonished (unless he shall atone for his crime by a suitable satisfaction), be deprived of the dignity of his power and honour; and let him know that he stands charged by Divine Justice with the iniquity so committed ; and let him be cut off from the most Sacred Body and Elood of our God and Eedeemer the Lord Jesus Christ ; and let him lie under his severe vengeance at the Last Judgment. But on all who shall preserve for the said Place its rights let the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ rest, so that here they cept in the churchyard, and the dead were denied the rites of sepul- ture. "Bells are dumb; Ditches are graves — funereal rites denied ; And in the church-yard he must take his bride Who dares be wedded I " In 1216 this happened in Scotland, when all the churches were closed, and the clergy ceased to exercise their functions, except the Cistercian monks, who were allowed to perform Divine Service for some time ; but they also were at length suspended. 78 BALilERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART may receive the fruit of their good deeds, and obtain at the hands of the Righteous Judge the rewards of eternal peace. Amex. In the year 1246. the same Pope granted to the Abbot and Convent, at their request, another Bull, dated at Lyons, confirming them in the protection of their persons, monas- tery, tithes, lands, granges, and other possessions, subject to the regulations of any future Council respecting tithes.* Abbot Ealph died in 1251, and was succeeded by Abbot JoHX, who had formerly been Prior of the monastery in the Isle of May, and had afterwards become a monk of Balmerino. His reign as Abbot was brief, since he resigned his office — for what cause is unknown — the following year, when he was succeeded by Abbot Adam, who, before his elevation, had been Porter of Melrose Abbey, f and was at this time, appa- rently, well advanced in years. Careful of the interests of his new charge, Abbot Adam caused to be registered in the Abbey Chartulary no fewer than four Papal Bulls, which had been granted on the 2 2d of August, 1253, by Pope Innocent lY., confirming the privileges of all the monasteries of the Cistercian Order. J From one of these Bulls we learn that deviations from duty on the part of the ]\Ionks were punished with suitable penance both by the general Chapter of the Order, and by the Chapters held daily in each monastery. This is stated as a reason why the monks should be exempted from the jurisdiction of bishops. In another Bull His Holiness waxes quite eloquent on the piety of the Cistercian order, declaring it to be " a trea- sury of virtues, pleasing in the sight of the Eternal King, and gracious in the eyes of men ; like a dove, gentle and humble, and specially chosen of God ; altogether fair ; cast- * Chartulary, No. 61. t Chron. Mailr., pp. 178, 179. X Chartulary, Nos. 60, 62, 65, 69. 11.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 79 ing from it every wrinkle of irregularity, and every stain of deformity : its Superiors showing such watchfulness that no thorns of vice can grow in it, and that it abounds with un- fading fertility in the flowers of honour and the fruits of honesty." This curious document proves either that the Cis- tercian monks had not yet sunk into the irregularities which afterwards characterized all the monastic Orders ; or that the Pope was exceedingly anxious, by magnifying their virtues, to justify to the world the special patronage he extended to them ; which was so amply repaid by their unbounded de- votion to the See of Eome. Another of those Bulls sanctions the practice of bishops, in admitting Cistercian monks to holy orders without their being required to pass any examination ; except in the case of such as may have been notorious for crime or immorahty. The remaining Bull possesses no special interest. CHAPTER YL ABBOTS ADAM II., WILLIAM DE PERISBT, AXD THOMAS. " The North blew cold; And, bidden to a spare but cheerful meal, I sate among the holy brotherhood At their long board . . . . Some were almost in the prime ; Nor was a brow o'ercast. Seen as they sate, Ranged round their ample hearth-stone in an hour Of rest, they were as gay, as free from guile, 80 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART As children ; answering, and at once, to all The gentler impulses, to pleasure, mirth : Mingling, at intervals, with rational talk Music ; and gathering news from them that came, As of some other world." Rogers. The infirmities of age compelled Abbot Adam to resign in 1260. He was succeeded by another of the same name, a Monk of liis house, who filled the office for ten years.* In thus arriving at the commencement of a new reign in the Monastery, we must express our regret that its annals, so far as they are now known, are somewhat barren of events. Of the long period of three hundred and thirty years which elapsed from its foundation to its suppression, there are few records now in existence, save the enumeration which its Chartulary contains of its property and privileges. Even the list of its Abbots, with all the notices of them which can be gathered from other ancient documents, is im- perfect ; and, wath two or three important exceptions, they do not make any great figure in the pages of history. And yet there must have taken place, during those centuries, many events, which, if known, would excite our interest. "We would gladly ascertain what changes happened in the fortunes of the Abbey ; its architectural history ; the num- ber of its inmates at difi'ereDt periods ; and their relations to each other, and to the outer world. But though details are wanting, we may form for ourselves some idea of the life of the monks during those long ages. "While Scotland was engaged in that protracted struggle for independence which was forced upon it by the ambition of English princes, and wdiile the unfortunate Stewarts successively filled the throne, and re- bellious barons were involving the country in perpetual dis- cord and bloodshed ; it is pleasing to picture the brethren * Chron. Mailr., p. 185. II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 81 of this retired monastery, in which they had found a refuge from the evils of the times, spending their tranquil lives in the performance of their daily devo- tions in the Abbey Church, and in exercises of fasting and penance ; in the study of sacred music, in which they were great proficients ; the transcription of ancient books ; the repair or enlargement of the monastic buildings, and studies of art connected therewith ; the cultivation of their fields ; the improvement of their fruit trees ; varied at times with hunting and hawking in the woods, or the ca]i- ture of salmon and sparlings in the Tay ; with little more to disturb them than an occasional dispute with the bishop of the diocese about their spiritual privileges, or with another monastery, or some lay proprietor about the marches of their lands, or the payment of their tithes. Xow a new Abbot would fall to be elected, or a new candidate would present himself for admission into the fraternity ; and again, an aged brother would be taken to his rest, and the graves of their predecessors would be increasing in number. Let us indulge the hope that erroneous as the monastic system was, not a few of the brethren yet found within the cloister that refuge from the snares and temptations of the world, and were successful in training their souls in that piety, for Avhich they had assumed the monkish garb. But the life of the cloister was not all retirement. The more distant possessions of the Abbey would require to be attended to. Visits, also, would be paid and received. Great barons, and even the sovereign himself would occasionally be entertained as guests of the Abbot. At times a special journey to Eome would be undertaken to procure some coveted pri^-ilege from the Pope, or the redress of some grievance to which the House had been subjected; while the Abbot himself, would, once in every four years, or perhaps less frequently, have to proceed to France to attend the general chapter of the Order, and consult for the common welfare. Eagerly would his re- F 82 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART turn be expected in the monastery, and long would his bud- get of foreign news and adventures form topics of conversa- tion. His visits to Edinburgh, or other residences of the Court, in order to take his place amongst bishops and ab- bots, barons and burgesses, in the deliberations of Parha- ment would keep the Monks informed in regard to the public events of the day. Often, too, would the brethren, seated round the Convent fire, listen with rapt attention to the stories brought from the outer world by some far-tra- velled pilgrim, to whom they had given shelter and hospi- tality for the night. We must not suppose that the existing Records furnish any adequate measure of the variety of the events which took place, affecting the monastery and its in- mates. There would be no want of "mildly -exciting" episodes in their somewhat monotonous life. As a great landholder, also, the Abbey would be interested in, and be an object of interest to the whole of the neighbouring district ; while the rustics, as they passed the stately pile, with its beautiful and spacious Gothic church rearing its holy spire towards heaven, and surrounded by tall, venerable trees, would be reminded of another world, for which the good Cenobites had, whether rightly or wrongly, retired from the trials and duties of the present. But to proceed with our history. Amongst the benefactors of the Abbey, not the least liberal was the ancient family of Kynners of Kynner.* S}Tiion de Kynner grants to the Monks half of his land of Kynneir (that now called Wester Kinneir), the boundaries of which, as being of considerable local in- * Sibbdld says that the Kinneirs '* have a charter by King Alex- ander II. I find one Willielmus de Kiner in King William's time." We have here an illustration of the origin of surnames. Land- owners were called after their possessions — as indeed they still are in familiar conversation in Scotland. Persons in humble life received surnames from their trade, as Smith, &c. ; from their complexion, as Black, &c. 11.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 83 terest, we give in full : — " Beginning on the west side of Kynner, viz., at the Glac, and running as far as the Rock ; and thence descending to the Well ; and from the Well to the Mothric by the ancient marches, and so on to Kethyn ; as- cending thence to the site of the ]\[ill, including its privilege of water for driving the Mill ; and thence ascending as far as the Cross ;* and from the Cross by Kethyn to the Great Stone ; and from the Stone to the Hill ; and from the Hill to the Glac." Symon grants also the " common pasture per- taining to the said land, excepting six acres of land belong- ing to the Hospital [of St John of Jerusalem], and two acres of meadow belonging to the Laird on the west side." He afterwards repeats these grants with consent of his wife Amia, whom he had apparently married in the interval ; and, with consent of the same, adds " the land on the east side of, and nearest to Kinner," which is thus bounded : — " Ascending from the site of the Mill by the dry ground, and going round Inchelyn and Wetslac; and thence ascend- ing to the Well of Langside ; and thence ascending to the White Eock on the east side of Cragnagren ; and proceeding thence by the just boundaries as far as the Well of Mun- buche ; f and from Munbuche to the Glac ; and thence de- scending to Wester Kethyn by the just marches to the White Cross ; and thence descending by the stream through the site of the old Mill to the marsh." Amongst the wit- nesses to these charters are several of the neighbouring clergy : William, parson of Flisk ; Adam, chaplain of Kilmanyn; Eobert of CuUessyn, chaplain of Fliske ; William, chaplain of Lokeris [Leuchars]. The King confirms these grants at Selkirk, the 21st of September 1260 ; reserving his own servitude, J • It was anciently customary to set up stone Crosses to mark the boundaries of lands. t Munbuche. The Arbroath Register interprets this Gaelic word (which occurs also in its charters) as equivalent to Monboy, and meaning Yellowpool. (Miller's '"Arbroath and its Abbey, p. 6.") + Chartulary, Nos. 12, 13, 14, 15. The charter of contirmation says 84 BALilERlXO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART In 1261 Pope Urban VI. granted to the whole Cistercian Order exemption from secular taxes imposed by kings and ethers — a privilege ■vvhicli had already been conferred on Ealmerino Abbey by its Foundation charter, in respect of the lands therein mentioned. Notwithstanding this exemp- tion, the Cistercians in course of time paid taxes, but under protest. In 1263 the same Pope granted to the Cistercians the right to tithes from newly reclaimed lands in those parishes in which they drew the old tithes. In 1268 Henry de Hastings grants to the Abbey his share of a burgage property in Dundee, lying between the burg- age of Henry de Downy and that of Roger del Wend.* Abbot Adam II. died in 1270, and in his place was chosen AVilliam de Perisby.I At the request of this Abbot and the Convent, Pope Gre- gory granted them, in 1272, a new Bull of protection for their persons, monastery, and property.]: The Council of Lyons ha\T.ng, in 1274, imposed a tax of one-tenth of all church benefices during the six following years for the relief of the Holy Land, the Pope sent Boia- mund of Yicci, in 1275, to collect the subsidy in Scotland. The Scottish clergy petitioned, but without effect, that this tax should be levied — as had hitherto been usual with church taxes — according to the old conventional valuation called the Taxatio Antiqua. Boiamund assessed the clergy according to the Vtrus valor, or actual worth of their bene- fices at that time ; and the Roll of Valuation then drawn up served for the apportionment of Church taxes until the Refor- mation. It evidently gives the valuation in round sums, *' the 12th rear of our reign." As Kinner is not mentioned in the Papal Bull of 1242-1246, we conclude it was in the reign of Alexan- der III., and not that of Alexander II., as is assumed in the Index to the Chartulary, which assigns the date to 1226. * Chartulary, Nos. 68, 63, 32. t Fordun, II., 113. Ed. Goodall. X Ibid. No. 66. II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 85 according to a roughly graduated scale. The Abbacies of Balmerino and Corsraguel were each valued at £533, 6s. 8d * We have no certain information as to the time of the death of Abbot William de Perisby. But a melancholy occurrence in which an Abbot of Balmerino was concerned, refers in all pro- bability to him. It is thus related by Fordun : — " In the year 1281 Margaretjdaughterof King Alexander III., was espoused to Hanigow, or Eric, King of Norway ; and leaving Scotland on the 12th of August, she crossed the sea in noble style, accompanied by Walter Bullock, Earl of Menteith, and his Countess ; and also by the Abbot of Balmerino and Bernard de Monte-alto [jMowat], and many knights and nobles. After the celebration of the nuptials, the said Abbot and Bernard, and many other persons, in returning home, w^ere drowned. But Earl Walter and his wife, with their whole family, returned in safety from Norway to Scotland "f — ap- * For the purpose of comparison we subjoin a few of the valua- tions of other Abbeys, &c.: — Chartreux, Glenluce, Culross, and lona, each £666 ; Scone, Cupar (Angus), and Lindores, each, £1,666, 13s. id. : Melrose, £2400 ; Dunfermline Abbey and St. Andrews Priory, each £3333, 6s. 8d.; Arbroath Abbey, £4000. The arch- bishopric of St. Andrews, £3333 ; the bishoprics of Dunblane, Gal- loway, Brechin, Caithness, and Orkney, each £666; Argyle, £293. Valuation of Parish Churches in this district: — Vicarage of Leuchars, £66, 13s. 4d. ; of Forgan, £33, 6s. 8d.; of Kilmany, £30; of Cupar (Fife) £53, 6s. 8d. The Rectory of Flisk, £100 ; of Cults, £66, 13s. 8d. Creich and Logic are not given. A "Valuation of the Scottish Prelacies in the Camera at Rome " (a.d. 1492-1550) shows that an alteration in the relative values of these benefices had by that time taken place. Then Balmerino Abbey was valued at 200 ducats ; Culross at 100 ; Cupar at 100 ; Lindores at 333; Dunfermline at 250 ; Arbroath at 600; Melrose at 800 ; Scone at 250. — (Robertson's Statuta Ecclesiae Scoticanae, vol. i., pp. Ixv.-lxxi.) t Fordun's Scotochronicon XL, 125. 86 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART parently in another ship. Father Hay supplies some addi- tional particulars of this disaster. He states that the ships were shattered to pieces on the rocks, and that our Abbot was swallowed up by the waters after he had for some time been chnging to a broken mast. This sad event is generally supposed to have been the occasion of " the grand old ballad of Sir Patrick Spence,"* as Coleridge calls it ; " the most ancient ballad of which we are in possession," in the opinion of Mr Finlay and others. No apology will be required by the reader for the insertion here of this justly celebrated composition, which, in all probability, refers to the death of our Abbot, "William de Perisby, though it may have been written in a subsequent age.t BALLAD OF SIR PATRICK SPENS. The King sits in Dunfermline tOAvn, Drinking the blude-red wine; " whaur shall I get a skeely skipper, To sail this ship of mine ?" Then up and spake an eldern knight, Sat at the King's right knee ; " Sir Patrick Spens is the best sailor That ever sailed the sea." The King has written a braid letter. And seal'd it with his hand. And sent it to Sir Patrick Spens, Was walking on the strand. * This opinion, since its adoption by ^lotherwell ('' Minstrelsy, Ancient and Modern," 1827), has been generally acquiesced in, to the exclusion of the prerious theories of Sir "Walter Scott and others. The author of the ballad and the date of its composition are un- known. A recent attempt to prove it to be the production of Lady Wardlaw in the early part of last century appears to us to be unsuc- cessful. (See " The Romantic Scottish Ballads ; their Epoch and Authorship," by Robert Chambers, 1859; Professor Aytoun's "Bal- lads of Scotland," 1858 ; Norval Clyne's " Romantic Scottish Bal- lads, and the Lady Wardlaw Heresy," 1859. t The text here given is that of Aytoun in his "Ballads of Scotland." il-J HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 87 " To Noroway, to Noro^yay, To Xoroway o'er the faem ; The King's daughter to Noroway, It's thou maun tak' her hame." The first line that Sir Patrick read, A loud laugh laughed he, The next line that Sir Patrick read, The tear came to his e'e. " wha is this has done this deed. This ill deed done to me, To send us out at this time o' the year To sail upon the sea ? '' They hoisted their sails on a Monday morn, Wi' a' the haste they may; And they hae landed in Noroway Upon the Wodensday. They hadna been a week, a week, In Xoroway but twae. When that the lords o' Noroway Began aloud to say — " Ye Scotismen spend a' our King's gowd, And a' our Queenis fee." " Ye lie, ye lie, ye liars loud, Sae loud's I hear ye lie ! " For I brought as much o' the white monie, As ganef my men and me. And a half-fou J o' the gude red gold, Out owre the sea with me. " Be 't wind or weet, be 't snaw or sleet, Our ship shall sail the morn." '* Now ever alack, my master dear, I fear a deadly storm. * As will suffice. X The eighth part of a peck. BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART "I saw the new moon late yestreen, ^S"l' the auld moon in her arm ; And I fear, I fear, my master dear, That we shall come to harm I " They hadna sail'd a league, a league, A league but barely three, When the lift grew dark, and the wind blew loud, And gurly grew the sea. The ropes they brak, and the top-masts lap, It was sic a deadly storm ; And the waves came o'er the broken ship, Till a' her sides were torn. " O whaur will I get a gude sailor Will tak' the helm in hand, Until I win to the tall top-mast, And see if I spy the land ? " " It's here am I, a sailor gude, Will tak' the helm in hand, Till ye win to the tall top-mast, But I fear ye'll ne'er spy land." He hadna gane a step, a step, A step but barely ane. When a bolt flew out of the gude ship's side. And the salt sea it cam' in. " Gae, fetch a web of the silken claith. Another o' the twine. And wap them into the gude ship's side, And let na the sea come in." They fetched a web o' the silken claith. Another o' the twine, And they wapp'd them into the gude ship's side, But aye the sea came in. O laith, laith were our gude Scots lords To weet their leathern shoon, II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 89 But lang ere a' the play was o'er, They wat their heads abune. O lang, lang may the ladies sit, Wi' their fans into their hand, Or e'er they see Sir Patrick Spens Come sailing to the land. O lang, lang may their ladies sit, Wi' their gowd kaims in their hair, A' -waiting for their ain dear lords, For them they'll see na mair. Half owre, half owre to Aberdour,* It's fifty fathom deep, And there lies gude Sir Patrick Spens, Wi' the Scots lords at his feet. A new Abbot would fall to be elected in 1281, but his name is not certainly known ; nor, indeed, are those of several of the subsequent Abbots, nor the length of their reigns : we have only notices of certain Superiors of the monastery at certain dates. Perhaps the next was Abbot Thomas, who witnesses a charter granted by JS'icholas Hay of Errol (who died about 1303) to the Abbey of Cupar, conferring on that house a bovate of land in the Carse of Gowrie.f In 1285 King Alexander III. grants to the Abbot and Convent a charter of protection for themselves, their men, lands, and possessions : forbidding any one to molest them, * Professor Aytonn thinks that " half owre to Aberdour" signifies nothing more than that the vessel went down half-way between Nor- way and the port of embarkation; and he states that in the island of Papa Stronsay, one of the Orcadian group, lying over against Norway, there is a large grave, or tumulus, which has been known to the inhabitants from time immemorial as " The Grave of Sir Patrick Spens." t Jervise's "Memorials of Angus and Mearns." This Abbot's name was unknown to the Editor of the Chartulary. 90 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART or to take their own, or their men's cattle in pledge in any part of the kingdom, except in royal burghs, and for their own debts : and ordering all Sheriffs and bailiffs to compel such as OAve the monks anything, to make just and prompt payment of the same, on proof of their indebtedness.* In 1286 Henry de Dundee grants a house and garden in Dundee to the Abbey, reserving his own use of it till his death. One of the witnesses is his brother " Adam the barber, "f Symon, son of Symon of Kynner, had given and confirmed to the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem six acres of land in the " TV^estertown of Kynner," with a hoase and croft which Mertham, son of Mertham, held, immediately west of the "Brigflat;" and common-pasturage for eighty sheep with their followers, four oxen, four cows, and two horses ; sub- ject to the condition that Hugo of Kilmanyn, S}Tnon's "kins- man and most special friend," his heirs, and assignees should hold the said land from the Hospital, paying to it a reddendo of twelvepence annually. Hugo then grants these six acres, house, croft, and pasturage to Balmerino Abbey, the reddendo of twelvepence being made payable by the Abbey to the Hospital. This grant is confirmed at Balmerino by Sir John de Kynner in the year 1286. Amongst the witnesses to these charters are several of the adjoining proprietors : Henry and John de Dundemor (Denmure) ; John of Esex ; Alexander de Ardiste ; "William de Forret ; William de Eamesay of CJatty ; also " the whole community of St. Andrews " wit- nesses one of the charters. J About this time, when probably some important buildings were being erected at the Abbey — perhaps the Chapter- house, the style of which corresponds to that of the period in question — Hugo of Kidyn (Xydie) grants the use of his * Chartiilary, No. 53. f Ibid. No. 44. X Ibid. Nos. 16, 17, 18. IT.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 91 quarry of Xidyn ; also a free road thereto through his land, viz. : the road leading from the quarry through the "town" of Nidyn, on the west side of St. Gregory's chapel, to the ford of Burglyn, " as I have caused the same to he used by my waggon in presence of my brother Eichard, Matthew Marscall, Adam the monk, and many others." He grants also " a toft in the town of JS^idyn, in which my mother Maria and my grandmother Gunnyld were wont to live ;" the Monks to have also twenty-four cows' grass on the com- mon pasture of ^Nidyn. These were, no doubt, the draught animals used for conveying the stones to the Abbey. Richard, Hugo's brother, afterwards confirms the grant.* "Wilham, son and heir of Aeldred de Burthlyn or Burglyn, grants "that old road through his land of Burthlyn, by which the Monks were wont to go with their carts and other car- riages to the quarry of Nidyn." "And if it shall happen that the carts and waggons of the Monks shall at any time halt at the ford of Burglyn on account of any hindrance in crossing, he grants them permission in such a case to unyoke and feed their beasts there, and, if necessary, to stay over the night."t Connected with iSTydie is the following, which may be here introduced, though belonging to a somewhat later date. Richard de Nidyn, with consent of his wife Amabilla, grants a portion of land in his tenement of N^idyn, which is bounded " on the east by the landmark placed there, on the west by the cattle road leading from Mdyn, on the north by the King's highway leading to the city of St Andrews, and on the south by the great moor." He gives also grass for two cows, one horse, and sixty sheep on the common pasture of * Chartulary, Nos. 46, 47. The toft would be required as a lodg- ing-place for the monks or their servants during the night, the jour- ney being too long for the waggons to go and return on the same day. Hence also the necessity for pasture for the draught animals. t Chartulary, No. 48. 92 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART Nidyn. One of the witnesses is John de Haya, lord of Athnanthan (Xaughton.)* On the 17th of March 1289 the Abbot of Balmerino (whose namp., however, is not mentioned) was present at a Scottish Parliament which assembled at Brigham, on the English side of the border, and agreed to an arrangement for marrying Margaret, the "Maid of Norway," heiress of the Scottish throne, to Prince Edward of England, f In 1291 the Abbot and Convent address a representation to Pope Nicholas lY., setting forth that certain clerical and lay persons, under pretence of haA^ng some complaints against them, seized sometimes the Monks themselves, sometimes tlieir Converts, and sometimes their beasts and other pro- perty, and detained them till they got whatever satisfaction they pleased, although such persons had neither ordinary nor delegated jurisdiction over them. Whereupon the Pope issues a Bull strictly prohibiting all such seizures and annoyances.}: At the same time the Pope addresses another Bull to the Bishop of Dunblane, authorizing him to compel certain clerical persons, "religious" as well as "secular," and cer- tain noblemen, knights, and others, of the cities and dio- ceses of St Andrews and Brechin, who had refused to show to the Abbot and Convent the amount of rents they were bound to pay for lands and other possessions held by them from the monastery, to exhibit the amount of such rents, which constituted the condition of their tenures. § In ex- planation of this it may be sufficient to state that it was a principle of the feudal law, that the superior could oblige his vassal to produce his rights when required. A Pope Nicholas, probably the same Nicholas IV., ad- dresses a Bull to the Abbot alone in answer to a petition * Chartulary. Xo. .50. t Acts of Scot. Pari, vol i. X Ibid. No. 59. § Chartulary, No. 67. ir.J HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 93 from him praying for a remedy for certain evils existing in tlie monastry. This document throws a strange and painful cross-light on the life of the cloister. We learn from it that certain of the ]Monks and converts had fallen into " the snare of excommunication," some by reason of their laying violent hands on themselves ; some by retention of their own pro- perty, (which was contrary to the monastic principle of a community of goods); and others by disobedience to the Abbot, as well as to his predecessors, or by the crime of conspiracy against him ; and that some of those Monks while thus "bound," had performed Divine Service, and received holy orders. The Pope, having full confidence in the Abbot's circumspection, grants him authority to absolve, for this time, those Monks from the sentence of excommunica- tion, according to ecclesiastical form.* CHAPTEE VII. ABBOTS WILLIAM IL, ALAX IL, HUGH, JOHX DE HAYLIS, AND EICHAED. "Years roll on years ; to ages, ages yield ; Abbots to Abbots, in a line, succeed: Eeligion's charter their protecting shield Till royal sacrilege their doom decreed." Byron. Abbot William II. is the next ruler of the Monastery whose name we meet with. He swears fealty to Edward I. of * Chartulary, No. 64. 94 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART England, at Berwick, on the 28tli August 1296, like so many others of the Churchmen and barons of Scotland about that time.* Edward was at Lindores on the 9th of the same month and year, and passed thence to St Andrews on the 11th. At Berwick he held a Parliament where he received the homage of all the principal men of the kingdom. The Abbey had house property in Castle Street (in vico castellano), Dundee, and the Monks being greatly in need of a place of lodging and entertainment when they w^ent to that town, which, also, they would often have to pass through on their way to Barry, Abbot William and the Convent "grant, for the convenience of their House, to William Welyeuyth and his heirs that piece of ground lying between the ground of Eoger del Wend on the east, and the vennel on the west, which Xorman of Castle Street gave to them in charity." " The reddendo to be eleven shillings of good and legal sterlings annualy."f " And the said William and his heirs shall provide for us and our successors sufficient ' hostilage ' on the said ground as often as we, or any of our brethren, may happen to repair to the said burgh on the business of our House, "t It was a common practice for * Ragman Rolls, p. 116; Nisbet's Heraldry, Appendix. Thomas, Abbot of Lindores, swore fealty to Edward on the same day. Ed- ward had been at Lindores also on the 23d June 1291, when John, Abbot of that house, swore allegiance to him. t This term, " which originally had reference to the eastern country of the early English moneyers, was afterwards applied to all money of a certain weight and fineness, wherever coined. This was the denarius, the well-known penny of Silver." (Innes's " Sketches," &c., p. 111.) X Chartulary, No. 55. In 1552 a feu-charter of certain lands at Barry was given to Robert Forrester, and the reddendo included the furnishing a house to the Abbot and his factors when they went thither to keep their courts. There was there also a piece of ground called the '' Abbot's Horseward." II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 95 monasteries to have such, lodging-places, provided with all needful apartments and furniture, in the various towns to which their inmates were in the habit of repairing. In 1315 the Abbot of Balmerino (whose name is not men- tioned) at a meeting of what was virtually a Parliament, held in the Parish Church of Ayr, signed, along with many others, a declaration to the effect that Jh^dward Bruce ought to succeed Ptobert Bruce as King, failing heirs male of the latter.* The next Abbot whose name occurs is another Alan, who is omitted in Mr Turnbull's List. In 1317 Abbot Alan and the Convent grant to Gregory de Schyrham two pieces of burgage land in Duifdee ; the reddendo to be forty shillings annually, payable, as was usual, one half at Whit- sunday, and the other at Martinmas. Besides the Common Seal of the Chapter, that of Abbot Alan himself was appended to one of the documents connected with this trans- action, f In 1318 King Eobert Bruce, having inspected the charters of the Abbey, and learned therefrom the privileges'conf erred by King Alexander on the Abbot and Monks, " and their men inhabiting their lands," viz., their freedom from " aids, armies, secular services, taxes," &c., approves and confirms the tenor of the said charters by a deed dated at Scone, the 12th of June.:}: A month later the King grants and confirms to the Abbey the whole of his fishings " de le Stok," on the north side of the Tay (near Perth), with the right of fixing stakes for hanging and drying their nets on the ground nearest thereto. § WilHam de Candela, whose name occurs in a document elsewhere about the year 1270, and whose ancestor, a Norman Knight of the same name, had obtained from David * Robertson's Index to Charters. f Chartularj, No. 54. X Chartulary, No. 54. § Ibid. No. 57. 96 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART I., about 1130, a gift of the lands of Anstruther, (from which place the family afterwards took the surname of Anstruther,) had granted to the Abbey a piece of ground, fifty yards in length, on the East side of Anstruther between the Crail road and the sea ; the reddendo to be half a merk annually. His son Henry adds* to this grant another of grass for four cows and one horse in the common pasture of Aynstroyir; the reddendo to be a hundred herrings from every barrel ; the Monks and their assignees, however, if they hold the said land in capite^ to be exempted from this payment. But the "men" of the said "Religions" must freely communicate with Henry's men in buying and selling. In 1331 John de Dundemor grants to the Monks the use of all the water running through his land of Dunberauch, with permission to convey it to their mill of Petgornoch, and to dig turf for making and repairing the channel He further subjects himself and his heirs to a penalty of ten pounds to be paid " towards the subsidy for the Holy Land, or to the fabric of the Church of St Andrews," should they contravene this grant, t Between 1328 and 1332 John de Haya, lord of Athnauthan (Xaughton), grants a charter concerning a piece of ground lying between his land of Galuran (Gauldry) and the Abbey land of Duchwarner (Dochrone), the right to which had been the subject of a long standing dispute between his family and the Abbey. To put an end to all disputes, and for the welfare of his soul &c., by this charter he renouijces, for him- self and his heirs, whatsoever right he has to the said land, and makes it over to the Monks for all time coming. The ground is thus bounded — "Beginning on the west side of the village of Galuran, where his land and theirs meet, and extending eastward along the ancient King's highway lead- ing to the Ferry of Portiukrag; and from the said highway * Chartulary, No. 49. t Ibid. Xo. 52. II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 97 soutli wards in a straight line to a certain well called "Bridiis Wei;" and thence to a certain stone lying on the moor; and thence to the marches of Kilmanyn ; and thence to a certain footpath called Scongate; and then ascending along this foot- path to the west side of Galuran already mentioned."* This is the jBrst mention of Gauldry we have met with; but that village is thus proved to have existed for at least five hundred and thirty years. Sometime before 1356 Davit de Berkeley, lord of Brechin, and his spouse Margaret, grant to the Abbey their fishing on the Tay, in Angus, called Cruchuc, lying between Partin- krag and Dundee.f These boundaries show that Partinkrag was the name then applied to what is now called Broughty Ferry : and this is confirmed by similar language in the Register of Arbroath Abbey. In Douglas's " Peerage " this fishing is stated to have belonged to Berkeley's lands of Lindores and Cairney. This grant of the fishing of Cruchuc is the last of the benefactions recorded in the existing Chartulary of the Abbey. But several other possessions of the monastery, not so recorded, still remain to be mentioned. The Abbey possessed thirty acres of land near Crail, called Gastoun. These lands were conferred by Alexander II., in 1233, on Walter, the "Messager" to the lately de- ceased Queen Ermengarde, and probably in fulfilment of Her Majesty's wishes. They were then called Drumrauach, and are described as lying " in the moor of Crail, near to the lands of Isaac of Drumrauach, and on the east side of them." They afterwards passed into the possession of William of Galliston. who either gave his own name to them, or derived his name from them. In 1278 he resigned them to Sir John Hay of Balcomy ; and he afterwards to Adam Marescall. As the charter by which the Abbey acquired these lands is wanting * Chartularv, No. 51. t Ibid. No. io. 98 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART ill tlie Chartulary (wliich, however, contains the other docu- ments relating to them), the donor and date are unknown.* The Abbey possessed also Gadvan, or Gadden, in Dunbog parisli, including a small building or Preceptory, which oc- cupied the site of the present House of Dunbog, with twenty- four acres of land now forming its park and enclosures.t Here a few Monks resided, and cultivated the land, till their establishment was broken up by the Eeformation. John- stoun, in the same parish, also belonged to the Abbey. In the Eegister of the Abbey of Arbroath, on which house the church and tithes of Dunbog parish were conferred by the Earl of Buchan in the reign of Alexander II., there is men- tion made, under date 1486, of the tithes of Johnstoun, and of those of the "acres of the Prior of Dunbolg" as belonging to that Abbey. When, or by whom these lands were con- ferred on Balmerino Abbey does not appear ; but as the Bull of Pope Innocent lY. does not specify them, they must have been acquired after the middle of the thirteenth cen- tury. The " Prior of Dunbolg " was, doubtless, the Abbot's deputy superintending the establishment tliere. We have a notice of a " Tack of the Teinds of Lochleven by Abbot Eobert to James, Earl of Morton, a.d. 1530,'";}: from which it appears probable that the Abbey possessed tithes at that time at Lochleven. Eent-Eolls of the Abbey dated after the Eeformation con- tain " the lands of Carpullie [or Carpowie] lying betwixt the lands of Dunmure and Quarrelhop on the ane and oyr. parts;" "the lands of Lochymilne [or Lochmyhie], with the * Chartulary, Is os. 41, 42, 43. Galliston is probably a corruption of Gallows' Town. t A small portion of this land is comprehended in the glebe of Dunbog. — (New Stat. Ace.) X Laing's Ancient Scottish Seals. We have not met with any other mention of this. There is probably some mistake in the name of the place, as the Abbey possessed no church in that district. II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 99 niilne and loch thereof lying in the barony of Abernethie;" Nether Aberargie [Al3*?rdargie ?] ; and Polgaigny ; besides salmon fishings.* Certain portions of land in Balmerino parish, which did not at first belong to the Abbey, must have been afterwards acquired by it, viz., fifteen acres be- tween Balmerino and Cultra ; the lands of Cathills, for- merly the property of St. Andrews Priory ; and certain lands about Balmerino which once belonged to Thomas de Lun- dm.t The Monks had now extensive landed property in several parts of Fife and Angus, burgage possessions in various towns, the revenues of three churches, building materials from the quarry of Nydie, water supply for their several mills, peats from Swansmire, game from their lands of Bal- merino and Barry, sea-fish from Anstruther, salmon from the Tay and, perhaps, trout from Lochleven, houses to lodge in when they went to the neighbouring towns, — in short, everything pertaining to a well-endowed Monastery. Most of those benefactions were acquired before the time of Eobert Bruce. The age of church endowments was then past, and the Chartularies of other Abbeys as well as that of Balmerino, record few donations after that period, but only the admini- stration of the property previously conferred upon them in more prosperous and peaceful times. The minute specification of boundaries and privileges which many of the Abbey charters contain, proves that pro- perty had acquired a degree of value, and the country an amount of civilization greater than are commonly supposed to have characterised those remote ages. It is asserted by our best informed historians that Scotland was more wealthy and civilized at the death of Alexander III, (1286) than at * See Appendix, Nos. IX., X., and XII. + See page 1. 100 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART any subsequent period down to the Union with England.* The reigns of William the Lion and the Second and Third Alexanders were eminently happy, and beneficial to the nation. The War of the Succession which followed was the first of many causes which checked the progress of the country for several centuries following. It is not to be supposed that the large property of the Abbey was devoted to the sole purpose of maintaining, per- haps, five and twenty Monks, w^ith, probably, an equal number of lay brethren, or converts. Their own portions were indeed but scanty. Much would be required for the support of their numerous servants who, along with them- selves, were engaged in the work of cultivating their lands, and managing their cattle, mills, and fishings. The Abbey buildings, too, would from time to time be receiving addi- tions and repairs ; and we may suppose that no expense would be spared in beautifying the Abbey Church, though it was not the practice of monasteries to expend much on the fabric of other Churches which had been given to them as sources of revenue. The Abbot's outlay in the mainten- ance of his own dignity, as well as in entertaining distin- guished guests ; in attending Parliament ; and in his visits to the parent monastery of Citeaux, would be considerable ; * The prosperity of tlie country at the death of Alexander III., and the change caused by that event, are referred in the following lines preserved by Wynton, and supposed to be the oldest fragment of Scottish poetry extant: — Quhen Alysander oure kyng was dede, That Scotland led in luwe and le,* Away was sous f of ale and brede, Of wyne and wax, of gamyc and gle ; Oure gold was changyd into lede, Cryst borne into virginyte, Succor Scotland and remede, That stad X is in perplexyte. * Love and law. + Plenty + Standing. II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 101 while mucli would, no doubt, be spent in charity to the poor, for which Monks were celebrated. At first the Monks kept their lands in their own hands ; and, when these were at some distance from the Abbey, they were cultivated from Granges, or spacious farm-steadings, where were collected their cattle and implements, as well as their servants with their families. A Monk or lay brother usually superintended a Grange. The " Grange " in this Parish, no doubt, served such a purpose for all the Abbey lands on the south side of the hill. The "Grange of Barry " served a similar purpose in connection with the Abbey lands there. Subsequently, the practice became common of grant- ing leases of their lands to tenants. The Abbey Forester, whose office was usually hereditary, seems to have lived near the present mansion of Birkhill, where certain lands were styled Forester's lands as late as the seventeenth century. Abbot Hugh witnesses a charter by Thomas the Senescal, Earl of Angus and lord of Bonkyll, to Andrew Parker, bur- gess of Dundee, of the lands of Kingennie, &c., which is ratified by David II. on the 10th of August 1368.* No- thing more is known of this Abbot, King Robert III. (1390-1406) addressed a letter to the Abbot of Balmerino (whose name, however, is not stated), ordering him to desist from prosecuting in the ecclesiastical courts a case which should be tried in the civil courts. f Abbot John de Haylis is the next Superior whose name occurs. He ruled the monastery for at least twenty-eight years, from 1408 to 1435 ; and seems to have borne a pro- minent part in the public affairs of his time. In 1408 we find Henry lY. of England granting to this Abbot a letter of safe-conduct (of which the following is a translation) on his return from France, whither he had gone, perhaps on some embassy : — * Registr. Mag, Sigill.: and Robertson's Index to Charters, t Robertson's Statut. Eccl, Scot,, vol. i,, p. 238. 102 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART " Safe-conduct for the Abbot of Balmorenogb, about to re- turn from France. " The King by his letters- patent, which are to extend to the first of March next, has taken under his safe and secure conduct, and into his special protection, keeping, and de- fence, John Hayles, Abbot of Balmorenogh in Scotland, in his coming and passing safely and securely out of the king- dom of Trance, through the dominions of the King of Eng- land, towards Scotland, by sea and land, according to his own pleasure, along with twelve horsemen in his company ; ■and also their horses, goods, and lawful things whatsoever, without any annoyance or demand on the part of the King, or of any other person in his dominions At West- minster, the 25th October."* On the 26th of April 1416 another letter of safe-conduct is granted by Henry IT. to tliis Abbot, John Forester of Corstorfin, knight, and "Walter de Ogilby, esquire, with forty horsemen, going to England as Commissioners to treat for the ransom of James I. of Scotland.f On the 19th of August 1423 a Commission is given by Murdoch, Governor t)f Scotland, to the Abbots of Balmerino, Cambuskenneth, and others as his Ambassadors to treatwiththoseof Henry VI. of England concerning the same business, j On the 1 6th of Sep- tember of the same year Henry grants another lett^er of safe- conduct to them, with fifty-four retainers, going to London in the performance of that embassy. § Like letters are granted to our Abbot and others going to Durham, with a retinue of twenty attendants, on the 13th and 20th of De- cember of the same year. |1 And on the 9th of June 1425, * Rotuli Scotiae, vol. ii., 189. t Ibid, ii., 217. t A fac-simile of this document may be seen m Anderson's Diplo- mata Scotia. I Rotuli Scotise, ii., 239. ', Ibid, ii., 244, 245. II.] HISTORY OP THE ABBEY. 103 another safe-conduct is issued in favour of him and certain other Ambassadors from King James to the Court of Rome with fifty attendants.* If the incidents and adventures which this Abbot must have met with on those numerous expeditions, and the course of the various public affairs on which he was engaged were fully known to us, his history would, no doubt, be very interesting. In 1422 we find the Abbot of Balmerino and others chosen as arbiters in a dispute between Sir Andrew Gray, lord of Fowlis, and Sir John Scrimgeour, Constable of Dundee. + In 1424 he was appointed one of the Auditors of the public tax imposed on church lands.;}: In 1435 this Abbot and the Convent enter into an inden- ture with Bishop "Wardlaw (founder of the University of St. Andrews), and the Prior and Convent of St. Andrews, whereby the former shall have in all future time a baptismal font, or baptistery, in the chapel of St. Alus situated within their lands ; and may henceforth freely administer in that chapel all the Sacraments to their own servants alone, in- habiting the lands in which the chapel is situated ; pro- vided that no other parishioners, without leave asked and obtained from their curates, be admitted to any sacraments there, and that no prejudice in respect of other parochial matters shall accrue to such from this agreement ; the Abbot and Convent to pay twenty-six pennies of Scots money annually as Synod and Cathedral dues from this chapel to the Bishop and his successors. § The above is the first mention we have met with of the chapel of St. Alus, or Ayle. Probably it was then re- * Rotuli Scotise, ii., 253. + Douglas's Peerage. X Acts of Scot. Pari. This was a tax called the "New Extent," for raising L. 30,000 for the liberation of James I. from his captivity of 19 years in England. (See Appendix, No. X.) i Denmylne Charters. Balmerino Chartulary, App. No. IV. 104 BALMERINO AKD ITS ABBEY. [PART eently built. Its site is somewhat uncertain, since no vestige of it remains. From a Precept of Sasine by Abbot Eobert in favour of Tliomas Wilson, 2nd ]\Iay 1551, of four oxgates of land near the manor-place (or Mains) of Balmerino, in Xaughton Charter chest, it may be concluded that the chapel was situated north of the Manor-place, and probably on the east side of the dell. In a Eent Roll of the Abbey, of a date subsequent to the Reformation,* occurs the following item: — "Ane piece of land called St. Taills Chapell, wt. kisle piyln ? or kirk ?] aiker, set to Beaton of Balfour for <£1." That tliis was not an ordinary chapel of ease appears from the fact, t hat those who attended such chapels (which were generally situated in the more remote comers of Parishes for the con- venience of the people), were yet obliged to attend the Parish Church (which, as we have seen, was also called the "Mother Church," or the "Baptismal Church," because baptism and other sacraments were administered in it alone), at the stated festivals of Easter, Christmas, and others; whereas in the present instance the bishop granted the right of administer- ing the sacraments in the chapel. It was, therefore, rather as a substitute for the Abbey Church than as an addition to it, that St. Ayle's Chapel would seem to have been used. It is probable that the population residing on the Abbey lands had so much increased during the two centuries which had elapsed since the foundation of the Abbey, as to render their admission into the Abbey Church inconvenient to the Monks, for whose daily devotions it was primarily intended. In 1436 three Cardinals, the Prior of St. Andrews, and the Abbots of Kelso, Melrose, and Balmerino, were ordered by the Pope to see to the execution of a Bull for restoring to his livings Croyser, Archdeacon of Teviotdale and Xuncio of the Pope, who had been stripped of his benefices by Par- liament, and found guilty of treason for citing to Rome the * See Appendix. Is'o. IX. II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 105 Bishop of Glasgow to answer for his conduct in promoting, as Chancellor, statutes hostile to Churchmen.* John de Haylis was in all probability succeeded by Abbot EiCHARD, who witnesses a protestation by the Abbot and monastery of Melrose against appearing in the King's court for the lands of Kinross, 8th May 1441.t In 1445 Abbot Richard was one of thirty-six persons (of whom six were Bishops, and nine were Abbots), who were deputed by Parliament to hear the claim of the prelates that the Papal Bull might be enforced in Scotland for the aboli- tion of an old custom, whereby the personal estate of a bishop lapsed to the Crown at his death. The claim of the prelates was granted.^ Abbot Richard was still in office in 1459, as ap- pears from an agreement into which he entered with the Abbot of Arbroath regarding a piece of ground in Perth which had been a subject of dispute between them, and which they chose eight arbiters to settle. One of the wit- nesses to the bond of agreement is " Brother John Mussel- burgh, Professor in Sacred Theology, and Yicar General of the Cistercians." § In 1459 King James II. granted to the Abbey a charter confirming that given by Alexander II. in 1234, and in similar terms, defining the boundary of the Abbey lands in Balmerino parish. || An arrangement is entered into in 1464 by the Abbeys of Balmerino and Arbroath respecting the church of Barry, which, as we have seen, had been the subject of a treaty be- tween these Houses upwards of two centuries before. The * Robertson's Statuta Eccles. Scot., yoI. i., p. Ixxxiv. t Liber de Mailros, p. 565. X Robertson's Statuta Eccles. Scot., vol. i., p. civ. § Register of Arbroath. Balmerino Chartul. App. No. V. II Reg. Sigill. Mag. See p. 64. 106 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART matter of controversy now is " the ordinary and extraordi- nary episcopal burdens due by, and the repairs of, the church of Barry ;" and the agreement is to the effect that Arbroath Abbey shall pay all episcopal burdens attaching to that church "according to the convention made of old between them ;" viz., the procurations of the bishop and archdeacon,* the expenses of the archdeacon and dean, the " charitable sub- sidy," and the pension of the chaplain or vicar due by ancient use and wont. Arbroath Abbey shall also now properly re- pair, for this time only, the choir of the church within and without, at sight of the Bishop of Brechin and the Dean of Angus ; and shall pay to Balmerino Abbey twenty shillings annually, which the latter shall levy from the lands of the former in the Xorth Ferry of the AVater of Tay. And in future Balmerino Abbey shall uphold the choir of Barry Church, and pay all its other burdens. The deed of agree- ment f is executed at Dundee in presence of Patrick, Bishop of Brechin, the " magnificent and powerful lord, David, Earl of Crawford, and many great and discreet men." " William Bell, Abbot of Balmerino," is mentioned by Father Hay i as witnessing a deed in the Arbroath Abbey Register in 1469. There is, however, great doubt of the correctness of this statement, as the printed Registers of that house do not contain his name. • The " procurations" were payments in money made to the Bishop by the Rectors of Parish Churches in place of the entertainment which they had to provide for him when he visited the churches in his dio- cese in person." — (Robertson's Statut. Eccl.Scot., vol. i., p. clxxxviii.) t Old Register of Arbroath. Balmerino Chartul. App. No.VI. i MS. in Advocates' Library, Tome i., p. 204:. II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 107 CHAPTER VIII. ABBOT BOBERT. "Inversion strange! that unto One who lives For self, and struggles with himself alone, The amplest share of heavenly favour gives ; That to a Monk allots, hoth in the esteem Of God and man, place higher than to him Who on the good of others builds his own." Wordsworth. Between Abbot Eichard and Egbert, the last regular Su- perior of the House, a long blank occurs, which we are un- able to fill up. Abbot Eobert's name appears in various charters and other documents from 1526 to lo59. But be- fore proceeding to relate the events of his time, we must take a retrospective glance at the preceding period. In the course of the fifteenth century (says Morton) " it appears that the discipline of the cloister had fallen into great neglect and disuse throughout Europe.* The renuncia- tion of property, abstinence, and simplicity in food and clothing, and other artificial virtues strictly enjoined by the monastic rules were now rarely practised. Not only the Abbots and other Superiors kept luxurious tables, dwelt in magnificent halls, wore costly garments, and were attended by youth of good families as pages, in rich liveries, but the * As early as 1424 James I. addressed a letter to the Abbots and Priors of the Benedictine and Augustinian monasteries in Scotland, " exhorting them in the bowels of the Lord Jesus Christ to shake off their torpor and sloth, and set themselves to work to restore their fallen discipline, and rekindle their decaying fervour, so that they might save their Houses from the ruin which menaced them."— (Robertson's Statuta Eccles. Scotic, vol. i., p. Ixxxix). 108 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART private Monks also spurned the sober fare, homely garb, and devout retirement of their predecessors. They kept horses, and upon various pretences, were continually going about in public ; they lived separately, upon portions allowed them out of the common stock ; they bought their o^vn clothes, which were of the finest materials that could be procured ; and the common dormitory, in which they slept, was now partitioned ofif into separate chambers. Various attempts were made by the General Chapter at Citeaux to correct, or stem the increase of those abuses, which, if all contemporary accounts are to be believed, were the least of the delinquencies of the Monks. By the injunction of Pope Innocent VIII. (1484-1492) the General Chapter commissioned John Schan- well, Abbot of Cupar, to visit and reform the Cistercian Monasteries in Scotland, when he deposed the Abbots of Mel- rose, Dundrennan, and Sweet Heart Abbey. The privilege of electing their own Superiors, originally enjoyed by all the monastic communities, fell also into disuse, and became a mere form : the power itself being virtually exercised by the King. This practice commenced about the year 1474, and was soon followed by that of granting the revenues of Ee- ligious Houses in commendam to bishops, to secular priests, to laymen, and even to infants."* The office of Abbot's Bailie, who exercised the civil and criminal jurisdiction, called the regality^ which belonged to the Abbot as temporal lord of the Abbey lands, was, as has been already stated, usually bestowed on some lay proprietor in the vicinity of the Abbey. It was an office of consider- able importance, and was given only to those who were firm * .\[orton's "Monastic Annals of Teviotdale," pp. 95, 238. A Com- mendatory Abbot before the Reformation enjoyed but a third part of the revenues of the Abbacy — the rest being allotted to the main- tenance of the Monks. The Prior, in such cases, administered the monastic discipline, and the monks were not subject to the Com- mendator. The latter personage, however, had the appointment of the Prior. — (Forbes on Tithes). II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 109 friends of the Church. It would appear that the lands be- longing to Balnierino Abbey were, at least latterly, divided into two Bailieries — that of Balmerino, in which were pro- bably included all its possessions in the counties of Fife and Perth ; and the Bailiery of Barry, embracing its lands in Forfarshire. The names of the early holders of those offices are unknown. The first who come into notice are the Bailies of Barry. Sir Thomas Maule of Panmure* got a Commission or Tack of this Bailiery from the Abbot in loll, which was afterwards renewed four or five times to the same family. We have no certain information as to the holders of the Bailiery of Balmerino before the Preformation ; but from the terms of a charter of this office which John Kinneir of that Bk received under the Great Seal in 1599, it would appear probable that it had been long previously in his family, whose ancestors had at an early period been, as we have seen, benefactors of the monastery. In 1532 we find that Abbot Eobert was a member of a Eoyal Commission chiefly composed of dignified Churchmen, who were appointed to visit and consider the privileges of the Uni- versities of St. Andrews, Glasgow, and Aberdeen. In the re- port which they gave in, they stated that they found the Regents and students to be free from all taxation, and re- commended His Majesty to confirm this privilege. f The increasing corruptions of the Church were now call- ing loudly for reformation. But most of all had the Monks departed from their primitive strictness of life ; and Monas- teries, originally founded for pious and charitable uses, were turned into nurseries of vice. The literature of the period, as well as the statutes of Church Councils, furnish too plen- * The contract of the marriage of Sir Eobert Maule of Panmure with Elizabeth, daughter of the Earl of Crawford by his wife Mar- garet Beton, is still extant, dated Balmerino, 8th January 1526. — (Jerv'ise's "Memorials of Angus and Mearns," p. 239). t St. Andrews University Commiijsioners' Report, 1837, p. 181. 110 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART tifnl evidence of the truth of this statement, which has been questioned by some modern ^v^iters. The Monks of Bal- merino would appear to have been no better than others, and are severely stigmatized by Sir David Lindsay in his "Satire of the Three Estates," which was acted at Cupar-Fife in 1535.* In 1533 the General Chapter of the Cistercians (we again quote from Morton) "made a new effort to restore their ancient discipline, and a Commissioner was sent to visit and reform the Monasteries of that Order in Scotland. The faults which particularly called forth his animadversions were, however, only their infringements of the rule which forbade the bre- thren to possess any private property, but to have all things in common. It was found that many of the Monks, especially in the Abbeys of Melrose, Newbottle, and Balmerino, had not only portions and pensions allowed them for their food and clothing, but that each Monk had also a garden appro- priated to his own particular use and pleasure. The visitor, therefore, in his Visitation Eoll, specified these things as illicit indulgences, which he enjoined them forthwith to re- linquish. The Monks in general murmured at this, and some of them excused themselves by saying that it would V)e time enough for them to enter upon this reform, when the Convent at Melrose, which was the chief House of their Order in Scotland, had set them the example. Next year, therefore, the Grand Chapter gave authority to Donald, Abbot of Cupar, and Walter, Abbot of Glenluce, to charge the Abbot of Melrose, upon pain of deposition, to carry the said reformation into immediate effect, and to punish with excommunication the jMonks who, after twenty days' warn- ing, should prove refractory. The reluctant ]\ronks, who evidently regarded the proposed reform as a useless and needless retrenchment of their comforts, met at Edinburgh, * Chalmers's Ed. of Lindsay's Works, 1., 372. II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. Ill probably by delegates, and addressed the Commissioners in a petition and remonstrance. They denied that they coukl justly be charged with possessing property, since they had nothing but what the Abbot allowed them, and which they were wilUng to resign when required by him ; and they begged to be permitted to retain the harmless indulgences which their predecessors, for a hundred years past, had en- joyed : alleging that to deprive them of these implied a severe and harsh censure at wdiich their consciences revolted, against those grave and holy men whom they had always been taught to look up to as of more wdsdom, prudence, and learning, and better acquainted with the rules of pious living than themselves ! In conclusion, they prayed that further pro- ceedings might be delayed until they should have an oppor- tunity of appealing to the General Chapter. The Commis- sioners assented to their request with certain restrictions, viz. : — (1.) They might retain their private gardens, provided no Monk had a larger one than another, and that a common way was made through all the gardens by opening a passage from one to another ; the productions of the whole being made a common stock, and applied to the use of the Convent. (2.) They might enjoy their separate portions ; but double portions were forbidden,* and they were not to have the dis- posal of what might be left, which was to be dispensed to the domestics and others by a proper officer appointed by the community. (3.) They might receive from the bursar (or treasurer) only as much money as would purchase what was immediately wanted, until the Abbot, or a person offi- cially charged, should provide a stock of the necessary articles of clothing. The Abbot of Melrose was to expend immediately 200 merks j the Abbot of Isewbottle £100; * In Lindsay's " Satire of the Three Estates," the Abbot savs : — " My Prior is ane man of great de^'otion, Tharfor, daylie, he gettis ane double portion." 112 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART and the Abbot of Balmerino 100 merks, Scots money, for tliis purpose." * In 1536 an annual tax on Prelates was granted by a Pro- vincial Council of the Church for the maintenance of the College of Justice, or Court of Session, then recently estab- lished. The tax amounted to .£1423 18s. Of this sum XI 1 4s. was contributed by the Abbot of Balmerino.f Balmerino has always been celebrated for the salubrity of its climate, and an incident of the period at which we have now arrived proves that the reputation which it bore in Queen Ermengarde's time was still maintained. The event in question was another royal -vdsit in quest of health. In 1536, King James Y., having proceeded to France with the intention of finding a consort in that kingdom, was intro- duced to the Princess Magdalene, eldest daughter of the French monarch. This lady, according to some authors, had been affianced to him in her childhood. She was, however, in so delicate a state of health as to be obliged to be carried in a chariot ; being unable to ride, like the other ladies of the court, on horseback. " Yitt (says Lindsay of Pitscottie) notwithstanding all liir seiknes, fra the tyme shoe saw the King of Scotland, and spak with him, shoe became so ena- moured with him, and loved him so weill, that shoe wold have no man alive to hir husband bot he allanerlie." Her affection was reciprocated by the Scottish monarch. Holling- shead says, " She was indeed a pleasant young ladie, beauti- full, of good favour, lovelie countenance, and comely manners above all others witliin that realm." Her health rallied about this time, and though the union was discommended by sage counsellors, it was at length assented to by her father ; and the marriage was celebrated in Paris on the 1st of * Morton's •' Monastic Annals of Teviotdale," p. 210, with refer- ence to Harleian MS. 2363. t Robertson's Statuta Eccles. Scot., vol. i. p. cxxxvi. Miscel- lany of the Baunatjne Club, vol. ii., pp. 51-53. II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 113 January 1537, amid circumstances of great rejoicing and magnificence. After remaining some time at the French court to witness the fetes which were got up on their account, James and his bride set sail for Scotland, and landed at Leith on the 27th of May. "And when the queen (says Lindsay) was come upon Scottis eard, shoe bowed hir down to the same, and kissed the mould thairof, and thanked God that hir husband and shoe was cum saiff throw the seas." She was received at Edinburgh with splendid shows, and with the reverence and love of the entire people. But the universal joy was destined to be soon quenched in grief. The rest may be told in the words of Miss Strickland : — "After the first pleasureable excitement, caused by the flattering nature of her reception in Scotland, was over, the young Queen began to flag. She could not conceal, either from herself or others, that she was ill at ease. The spring was cold and ungenial, and Edinburgh is about the worst place, on ac- count of the prevalence of east wind and fogs in such seasons, to which a delicate invalid, with a hereditary tendency to con- sumption, could be brought from a milder climate. K"either of the palaces there were desirable residences for her. Holyrood was as much too damp and low as the Castle, on its lofty rock, was high and bleak. King James saw the expediency of removing her without delay. Being very anxious about her, he made his physicians hold a consultation, in ordef to select the most salubrious place in his dominions for her par- ticular case. We should have thought they would have re- commended the soft air of Rothesay, or the vale of Glasgow ; but they decided on a bracing temperature, as appears by the following quaint notice in Mar tine's History of the See of St. Andrews — 'Being a tender lady, the physicians choosed this place (St. Andrews) and the Abbacie of Balmerinoch, as having the best aers of any places in the kingdom, for her residence and abode.' "To Balmerino, therefore, or the Sailors' Town, as its n 114 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART Celtic name signifies, a picturesque callage on the Firth of Tay, Queen Magdalen was removed. She was lodged in the beautiful Abbey which had been founded by her royal pre- decessor Queen Ermengarde, the consort of William the Lion, out of gratitude for her restoration to health, in conse- quence of a temporary residence on that spot. The ruins of the Abbey are still to be seen, situated on a gentle eminence above the bold rocky shores of the river Tay. Magdalen derived immediate benefit from the change of air ; and per- haps, if she could have been content to remain quietly there for a few weeks or months, equally good effects might have resulted to her as had formerly been the case with Queen Ermengarde. But as King James could not be with her in this monastic house, her desire of his society induced her to return to Hol}Tood, where she could enjoy his company."* A letter to Queen Magdalen's father, dated the 8th of June 1537, which. Miss Strickland thinks, must have been written after her return from Balmerino, proves that she regarded her- self as convalescent, and was hoping for a cure. But forty days after her arrival in Scotland she lay a corpse in Holyroodhouse, having not yet quite completed the seventeenth year of her age. When a young girl, she had declared her wish to be a Queen, whatever her realm might be. She gained her wish for a few weeks, though she was never crowned. All classes lamented her death, and, out of respect to her memory, public mourning was for the first time worn in Scotland. Buchanan, who was an eye witness, says it was the first instance of mourn- ing dresses being used in this country, which, even after forty years, were not very frequent.t It is beheved that Queen * Miss Strickland's Lives of the Queens of Scotland, vol. i. p. 322. While giWng the above account by Miss Strickland, we are bound to add that she quotes no other authority for it than the sentence from Martine, which does not positively assert that the projected visit to St. Andrews and Balmerino was accomplished ; nor have we found in any contemporary author mention of such a visit. t Rerum Scotic. Histor. Lib. xiv. II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 115 Magdalen regarded with favour the doctrines of the Reformers, and had she been spared to her husband and tlie country, the history of the Scottish Reformation might have borne a different character from that which the actual events assumed under Mary of Guise. Her death was the occasion of Sir David Lindsay's poem, " The Deploratione of the Deith of Queue Magdalene," which is, however, a mixture of fact and fiction. Buchanan wrote a Latin epitaph on her. King James Y. paid a visit to Ealmeriuo Abbey in 1539, as appears from a charter granted by him there, dated the 6th of July of that year.* He seems to have been then living at St. Andrews, where his second consort, Mary of Guise, had borne a son to him a few weeks previous to this visit. CHAPTEE IX. ABBOT ROBERT. DISSOLUTIOX OF THE MONASTERY. " Threats come which no submission may assuage, No sacrifice avert, no power dispute ; The tapers shall be quenched, the belfries mute. And 'mid their choirs, unroofed by seltish rage, The warbling wren shall find a leafy cage; The gadding bramble hang her purple fruit." Wordsworth. Havixg traced the history of the Abbey thus far, we have now to relate the events which led to its suppression. The first blow was dealt to it by the English. It is well known * The charter referred to is in the possession of David Hunter, Esq. of Blackness. 116 BALMERTXO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART that determined efforts were made by Henry YIII. of Eng- land to unite the crowns of the two kingdoms by means of a marriage between the Scottish Princess, ^lary, and his own son, afterwards Edward VI.; while the French King was equally anxious for her union with the Dauphin. The method of conducting the matrimonial suit adopted by the English monarch was no less singular, than likely to defeat his object. He sent fire and sword through Scotland to compel the nation to fall in with his views. The piinciples of the Eeformation were now rapidly spreading in both countries, and the monasteries of England had lately been suppressed.* When Henry's generals entered Scotland, the greatest service they could render to their master was the spoiling of the abodes of the Monks ; and thus Eeligious Houses, which had hitherto been generally respected in times of war, were now the first to suffer. The Earl of Hertford, who conducted an invasion of Scotland in 1543, besides burning Edinburgh and Leith, gave to the flames no fewer than eight monasteries, viz., those of Melrose, Kelso, Dry- burgh, Jedburgh, Eccles, ^Xewbattle, Holyrood, and Had- dington, as well as many Collegiate and Parish Churches in LothiaUj the Merse, and Teviotdale. Several other Religious Houses in Scotland were sacked at Henry's instigation, and even this amount of havoc came short of his desires. The ruins of the above-mentioned m.agnificent structures are com- monly, though quite erroneously, associated in the popular mind with the violence of the Eeformers. After the death of Henry the same policy was carried out by the Protector Somerset, who in If) 17 marched into Scot- land at the head of a powerful army, and defeated the Scots in the disastrous battle of Pinkie, where 10,000 of the latter fell. Somerset then sent Sir Andrew Dudley with a strong force to secure Dundee, while a considerable fleet, commanded by Admiral Wyndham, seconded his operations. In the * The lesser monasteries in 1536 ; the greater in 1539. II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 117 end of September 1547 Dudley took Broiighty Castle, and the English soldiers and sailors pillaged the country all around. They also took Dundee, and held it for a short time. It was scarcely to be expected that the Abbey of Balmerino would escape their hostility. An expedition against it was soon resolved upon by the English Admiral. Choosing for the time of his assault the night of Christ- mas, on which, he probably judged, the jNIonks would be fast asleep after their Christmas festivities, the Admiral sailed up the Tay, and landed near the Abbey a force of 300 men, of whom fifty would appear to have been harquebusiers.* The Monks, no doubt aware of the havoc so recently com- mitted on the monasteries in the south of Scotland and else- where, had made preparations for an attack from the Eng- lish fleet, and had mounted for the defence of the Abbey several of the guns called " harquebusses of croke,"+ which were probably the same as those otherwise termed " great harquebusses," carrying a ball of three and a half ounces, and used in defending fortresses. These pieces they now turned against the enemy. Some horsemen also were brought out — perhaps the tenants of the Abbey — who must have been placed there against such an emergency. The result of the skirmish which ensued M'as in favour of the English. Four of the horsemen were killed, and the Abbey w^as given to the flames. Elated by their success, the victors proceeded to burn the neighbouring villages, and finished their night's work by setting fire to the stackyards which at that season of the year would be collected within the Abbey precincts, as well as in the enclosures of the tenants. The admiral * The harquehuss, arquebuse, or haquebut, was an old species of gun, of the length of a musket, and cocked by means of a wheel. It carried a ball of neai-ly two ounces in weight. t Or " hacbotys a coke " in another copy. See Appendix, No. YJlI.,note. 118 BALMERIXO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART himself seems to have been surprised at the ease with which so strong a place was taken ; which is perhaps to be ex- plained by the supposition that though the Monks had pre- viously prepared for an attack, they were off their guard when it was actually made. This event must have produced at the time a deep impres- sion on the "parochial mind," and we should have expected that tradition would have kept it alive in the memory of the inhabitants. But strange to say, the fact, not having been noticed by any of the historians of the period, and having, apparently, been overlaid, in the popular recollection, by a subsequent attack made by the Reformers, has been altogether forgotten.* It may be mentioned that the English sailors afterwards burnt a nunnery at Perth, and that the admiral brought away all the nuns and many gentlemen's daughters. The English also set fire to, and partially destroyed the Church of Dundee. Landing at Ferry-port-on- Craig about this time, they pro- ceeded to burn Leuchars and other adjacent villages; but several Fife gentlemen, having learned their purpose, got be- tween them and their boats, and, having attacked them with vigour, killed a hundred and sixty of their best men-at-arms and sailors. " Fra that tyme forth (says Lindsay of Pits- * The event was brought to light by a brief notice of it in the " Cal- endar of State Papers relating to Scotland," vol. i., page 73 (1509- 1603), recently' published by Government. The original document, which contains the account of the burning of the Abbey, is in the State Paper Office, London, being a lengthy despatch from Admiral Wyndham to Lord Grey, describing his preparations for the defence of Dundee, and other operations, and requesting fresh munition and instructions. It is dated the 27th of December 1547, only two days after the attack. The author is much indebted to the kindness of David Laing, Esq., LL.D-, for procuring for him a copy of this docu- ment from the State Paper Office. The portion of it relating to the Abbey Avill be found in Appendix, No.A^IlI., where it is printed for the first time. II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 119 cottie, in relating the event) they desired not to land in Fife." * It is impossible to state precisely what amount of injury was done to the Abbey buildings during the attack just mentioned. We may presume that no stone walls were pulled down. The conflagration would probably be confined to whatever could be most easily destroyed — movable fur- niture and wooden materials generally — including the numerous treasures of Art and Learning which the Monks must have accumulated during the space of three centuries, and the destruction of which must excite regret in every in- telligent mind. The injury inflicted on the buildings would, no doubt, be partially repaired in the interval between this period and the Eeformation, but the Abbey would no longer present its former aj)pearance ;t and the lament of the Pro- phet would recur to the minds both of Monks and par- ishioners — " Our holy and beautiful house, where our fathers praised Thee, is burned up with fire ; and all our pleasant things are laid waste." The duty of preaching having come to be very much neglected by the Clergy, a canon was passed by a Council of the Scottish Church held at Edinburgh in 1547, providing that in every Cathedral Church there should be a Licentiate or Bachelor in Divinity who should preach the "Word of God to the people j and that in every monastery a theologian, " religious " or " secular," should be found and maintained, who should, every day within the monastery, be obliged to read the Scriptures in such way as should be most expedient for the auditors ; and who should preach in the Church at- tached to the monastery. It may be presumed, therefore, that this was now done in Balmerino Abbey and Church. In 1549 another Council of the Church ordained that from every monastery a few " Religious," of most capa- * " Chronicles of Scotland," p. 505. t No new monks appear to have entered after that year. 120 BALMERIXO AXD ITS ABBEY. [PART city for learning, should, according to ancient cnstom, be sent to the University to study theology for at least four years; which period of study being completed by them, others should be sent in like manner. Three such students were ordered to be sent from St. Andrews Priory, and the same number from Arbroath Abbey ; two from Melrose, Cupar, and Dunfermline each ; and one from Lindores and Balmerino Abbeys each. The student from Balmerino was to be sent to the University'of St. Andrews ; and the rectory of Log}Tnurthe (Logic) — that is. the great tithes of that parish — were assigned to him as his maintainence. To the student from Lindores the vicarage of Dundee was as- signed. These reforms, though well meant, were too late ; and were, besides, wholly inadequate to ward off the ruin which was now impending over the Eomish Church in this country.* For some time after the foundation of the Abbey the Monks, as has already been stated, appear to have kept their lands in their own hands, and to have cultivated them with the aid of their servants. Subsequently the practice was introduced of leasing portions of them to tenants,f and even of granting feus of them. To what extent these practices were carried does not clearly appear ; but we have seen that as early as the year 1291 certain portions of the Abbey pro- perty had been either leased to tenants, or feued. J AYe find that about the year 1425 it was customary for successive Parliaments to declare that the Church had, amongst other ancient pri\Tleges, permission to grant leases of their lands, or of their teiQds.§ The rule of the Canon law was, at first, * Robertson's Statuta Eccles. Scot., vol. i. . pp. cxlvi., cxlix,, vol. ii., pp. 100-103, 116. t In 1541 four acres of land, including the tithes, west of Byres of Balmerino, were let for 19 years ; and the whole rent was 30s., with 8 poultry. i See p. 92. § Tytler's History of Scotland. II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 121 that the heritable property of the Church could not be alienated either by feu or sale. Eut the Pope afterwards assumed the power of authorizing alienations, which, without his consent, were void. The Bull of Pope Innocent IV. forbids the monks of Balmerino to alienate their lands with- out the consent of the majority of the Chapter — leaving it to be inferred that if this consent were obtained, such aliena- tion was valid without any special permission from the Pope. This power of the Pope was never acknowledged in Scotland by express enactment. Alienations were valid only when made with consent of the Crown, which was generally en- forced in the rare cases of sale, or donation. Yet feus were common in some monasteries from their first establishment ; but as none of our Chartularies contain confirmations either by the Crown or Pope, it may perhaps be inferred that this was held to be unnecessary for feus.* We are inclined to think that the practice of feuing their lands was not adopted to any great extent by the Convent of Balmerino till about the time of Robert, the last Abbot. It was then common both for Church lands and tithes to be let on nineteen years' leases. From the very commencement of his rule Abbot Robert, with the Convent — probably see- ing the storm approaching which was soon to sweep away the whole monastic system — began to feu the Abbey lands to the existing tenants and others, for such sums of ready money as they could obtain, reserving only the superiority and annual feu-duties. + In many of the feu-duties granted by them an anxiety is observable to specify reasons sufficient * Connel on Tithes. Yet a feu-charter of Ballindean to Paul Stirk was confirmed by the Pope in 1542. Another of half of the Links of Barry, of date 1552, was confirmed by the Pope in 1554 ; and another of Kilburns in 1540. {Private Documents.') t In this they but followed the example of many other Churchmen of the period. Ineffectual attempts were made in 1560 and 1561 by the Privy Council to check these alienations. Ultimately it was 122 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART to justify their alienations, such, as the repair, convenience, and advantage of the Monastery, and sums of money received in the great and urgent necessity of the Convent ; while the assertion is made that the Canon law ever permits the feuing of lands and tithes. Between 1526 and 1559, the greater part of the Abbey lands and fisliings had thus been alienated. * It may be here stated that the consent of the majority of the Convent was necessary to give validity to feus. Anciently the affixing of the Common Seal of the Abbey served as e^^dence of such consent ; since this was never done but at a solemn meeting, when all the members were " chapterly gathered." Latterly, however, to prevent fraud or forgery, subscribing by the Convent was enjoined by Act of Parlia- ment.! There are still in existence, and, generally, in the possession of those whose lands had been originally feued from the Abbey, many feu-charters having the Common Seal of the Convent attached to them, and subscribed by the Abbot and ]\Ionks. The Common Seal, which was of an oval shape, and pointed at the two extremities, contained a fall length figure of the Virgin and Holy Child standing within a Gothic niche richly ornamented. At the lower part of the seal was a shield bearing the arms of Scotland. Eound the border was the scroll — Sigillum Commune Sancte Marie de Balmorynach. Translation — The Common Seal of St. Mary of Baljiorynach.;): There is in the Chapter-house, "Westminster, a detached ordained that all feus of Church lands granted before the 8th of March 1558 must have confirmation by the Pope or the King, and those granted after that date must be confirmed by the King : otherwise thev would be invalid. It does not appear, however, that this rule was strictly enforced. (See Connel on Tithes.) * See Appendix, No. VII. "t Forbes on Tithes. X See Title-page. '-^z ^ # ^%^ Z^^ II. I HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 123 seal of an Abbot of Balmerino — perhaps Alan II. (See page 95.) It is oval-pointed ; and contains the figure of an Abbot -^dth the crozier in bis left hand. On the dexter side of the figure there appears to be a fleur-de-lis, and three mullets of six points. The scroll runs thus : — S' Abbis. Sci. Edwardi in ScociA. Translation — Seal of the Abbot of St. Edward's IN Scotland. "We meet with the names of but few of the common Monks till the time of Robert, the last regular Abbot, to whose reign belong aU the charters granted by the Convent before the Reformation which we have seen — perhaps all which are now extant. We present on the opposite page a facsimile of the signatures — fifteen in number — attached to a Tack of four acres of land at Barry, granted by the ]\Ionks to Robert Durie, and dated the 24th of October 1537. Subjoined are the names, and other words, printed in full, which may help the reader to decipher the engraving : — Robert, Abbot of Balmerinoch, subscripsit. Et ego. Jacobus Mtller, ad id. Et ego. Jacobus Harwod, ad id. Et ego, WiLLELMus MowAT, ad id. Et ego, Johannes Bonar, ad id. Et ego, Andreas Cuper, ad id. Et ego, Alexander Letss, ad id. Et ego, Thomas Steynson, ad id. Et ego, Alexander Gagye, ad id. Et ego, Andreas Wemyss, ad id. Et ego, Johannes Hogg, ad id. Et ego, David Lowden, manu propria.* Et ego, Johannes Halybortone, manu propria. Et ego, Allanus Haw, ad id. Et ego, Georgius Matthow, ad id. * As David Lowden and John Halybortone sign, each, manu pro- pria^ or with his own hand, it might be supposed that the other monks 124 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART In other charters about the same period, and subsequently, occur the additional names of Andrew Gagie, Andrew BuToR, John Miller, Andrew Grig, Andrew Murray, Andrew Lawtor, and John Yeister. * From the existing feu-charters we learn that the number of the Monks gradually decreased as the Reformation drew near. The above charter of 1537, and another of 1541, contain fifteen names each in all. Others of 1547 and 1550 have eleven each. Another, five years later, has eight sub- scribers. The names in these documents also show that the common class of Monks at that period were drawn from the humbler ranks of persons living in the neighbourhood. On the other hand, it is well known that the Heads of Religious Houses, as well as the secular clergy, were at this time mostly men of good family. Any sympathy we might have for Abbot Robert in the calamity which had already overtaken his House, and in the prospect of the impending abolition of his office, as well as of the whole system to which it belonged, is effectually checked by our knowledge of the share he took, in his de- clining years, in an act of cruel persecution. AValter Myln, who had been parish priest of Lunon, a man venerable for his piety and great age, was tried in 1558 at St. Andrews for heresy, that is, belief in the Reformed doctrines. Foxe informs us that there were present at his trial, and concur- ring in it, the Abbots of Dunfermline, Lindores, and Bal- merino, with many Bishops and doctors. Though eighty-two years of age, Myln made a most able and vigorous defence, which filled all his judges with astonishment. He was found guilty, but no one could be got who, as temporal judge, would pronounce the sentence of death, till a dissolute could not write ; vet it seems improbable that only two out of four- teen were able, in that age, to sign their own names. * See page 57. II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 125 domestic of the Archbishop performed the odious office. My In was committed to the flames at St. Andrews on the 28th of April 1558, and his death excited universal horror and in- dignation. From the stake he prayed tliat he might be the last who should suffer death in Scotland for the Protestant opinions, and his prayer was heard. The principles of the Eeformation, which had been struggling for recognition for thirty years, were now at length on the eve of triumph ; " the handwriting was on the wall ;" and in little more than a year the Abbots of Balmerino and Lindores, as well as others, had to pay a heavy penalty for the assistance they had rendered to the cause of Romish error and intolerance. It is well known that the Eeformation in Scotland was characterized by proceedings of a more lawless nature than in England. In the latter country it was effected mainly by the prerogative of the Crown, and was thus gone about in a more orderly, though, as regards the monasteries, in a scarcely less severe manner than in the northern kingdom. In Scot- land, though the movement was headed by the barons, and by many Abbots and Priors, it was opposed by the Court and almost the whole body of the Bishops. The people were very active in the work of reformation, and, roused by the fiery eloquence of Knox, and having at.everystepto contend with opposition in high places, they gave vent to their hatred of Popery by committing great havoc on some of the monas- teries, and stripping a few Churches of images, altars, and other superstitious ornaments. The attack on the Eehgious Houses, and the purification of Churches commenced at Perth in May 1559. The example there set was followed in Cupar-Fife, Crail, Anstruther, and St. Andrews. Our Abbey was the next to undergo the Reforming process. The event is thus related by Lesley, the period of the visit of the mob to Balmerino being about the middle of June 1559 : — " The Earl of Argyle and the Prior of St. Andrews departed from Perth, on the arrival of the Queen there, without her 126 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART knowledge, and came to St. Andrews, where they tore down altars and images, the friars' places, kirks, and biggins, wnth the College Kirk of Heuche, and all other private chapels within the town ; and convened a great company of country- men, and passed to the Abbeys of Lindores, Balmerino, the Parish kirks within Fife, and did the like, and from that to Cupar where the}^ remained." Lesley further ascribes the demolition of our Abbey to " certain most worthless men of the common people." * Knox thus describes the visit of the Eeformers to Lindores, where they assembled 3000 strong on a single day's w^arning : — " The Abbey of Lindores, a place of Black Plonks, was reformed ; their altars over- thrown ; their idols, vestments of idolatry, and mass-books were burnt in their own presence ; and they commanded to cast away their monkish habits." t The same difficulty as in the case of the previous attack by the English here presents itself in regard to the amount of injury inflicted by the Reformers on the Abbey buildings, and especially on St. Mary's Church. The Reformers were generally more severe on the abodes of the Monks — " torn down and demohshed " are the words used by Lesley in re- ference to the " monastery " — but it was only in some few and peculiar cases that the fabric of Churches was destroyed. J * "Circa 15.59 moritur Abbas Balmerinochius, et ibidem monas- terium Balmuraeura a levissimis quibusque ex plebe hominibus direptum et demolitura, 1559." Lib. x., (as quoted in Father Hay's MS.) t Calderwood's History of the Kirk, I., p. 470. (Ed. Wodrow Society.) X The amount of injury caused to Churches by the Reformers has been grossly exaggerated by party historians. There is no evidence that any Cathedral Church was demolished by them. (See Burton's Hist, of Scotland, IV., pp. 68, 69.) The General Assembly made strenuous efforts to have the ancient Cathedrals and other Churches preserved and repaired. The present ruinous state of so many of our Cathedrals and Abbey Churches is to be ascribed to very differ- TI.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 127 The practice of the Eeforming mobs was merely to purge the Churches of " monuments of idolatry and superstition;" and if we are to judge of their work at Balmerino by their doings at Lindores, as described by Knox, we may conclude that the Abbey Church was left standing in 1559. This event put an end to the conventual life of the Monks, who were driven from their snug quarters to practise a more healthy kind of piety in the open and busy world. We must lament the fate of the Abbey buildings, and especially of the literary and other treasures which, doubtless, perished under the ruthless hands of its assailants, whether English or Scotch ; but still more must we rejoice that the country was delivered from Popery ; that the pure Gospel was soon to be preached to a people perishing for lack of knowledge ; and that the external organization of the Church was to be restored to a form more nearly resembling that of primitive times : — "Grant that by this unsparing hurricane Green leaves with yellow mixed are torn away, And goodly fruitage with the mother spray ; 'Twere madness — wished we, therefore, to detain, With hands stretched forth in mollified disdain. The ' trumpery ' that ascends in bare display — Bulls, pardons, relics, cowls, black, white, and grey — Upwhirled, and flying o'er the etherial plain Fast bound for Limbo Lake." * The Reformation not having been legally established till 1/560, the Monks of Balmerino would, for a year longer, con- tinue to enjoy all the revenues of the monastery. Thus we find Abbot Robert and the Convent, Avith the view, no doubt, ent causes from the violence of the Reformers — the principal one being the unwillingness of those who got possession of the Church lands to be at the expense of upholding them. (See Article in Quarterly Review on " Scottish Abbeys and Cathedrals " — No. 169 — 1849.) * Wordsworth. 128 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART of making the best of their altered circumstances, granting on the 4th August 1559 to the notorious James Balfour, parson of Flisk, and Andrew Balfour of Mountquhany, his father, a " Tack of the fruits, rents, profits, teinds, fishings, and other duties pertaining to the Abbacy," for five years after Martinmas 15.59, for the annual payment of 900 merks Scots* — a sum which appears to have been greatly under the real value. An Act was passed by the Privy Council, at the request of the General Assembly, in 1561, for a new destruction of *' monuments of idolatry," and of monasteries ; but there is no evidence that Balmerino was thus again visited. It having been enacted in 1561 by the Privy Council that the old Clergy should be allowed to retain two-thirds of their benefices during their life-time, and that the remaining third should be appropriated partly for stipends to the parochial ministers, and partly for the use of the Crown ; t of which enactment many Abbots and Priors received the benefit ; a return was made of the rentals of all the benefices of the kingdom. The Thirds were uphfted by collectors appointed by the Crown. This was called the Assumi^tion of Thirds. The revenues of Balmerino Abbey, "lifted out of the Baronies of Balmerinoch, Pitgorno, and Barry, together with the Kirks of Balmerino, Logic Murtho, and Barry, and the * " Inventory of Balmerino "Writs," for a perusal of which the Author is indebted to William J. Sands, Esq. From this source much new information has been obtained for this work. The " Inventory " is a large MS. vol. which belonged to the Lords Bal- merino. It will be referred to in the sequel as the " Balmerino Writs." The Writs themselves are in the possession of the Earl of Moray. t By restricting the proportion set apart for stipends to the Clergy of the Protestant Church to a third, the nobles and courtiers, it is quite evident, hoped to secure, in course of time, the remainder to themselves. Anxiety to provide for the old Clergy was only a specious pretext. II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 129 fishings upon the Eiver Tay," were thus found to amount in 1561 to the following, in money and grain — besides 7G3 head of poultry : — Money, £704 lis. 2d. Wheat, 4 chalders. Bear, 21 chalders, 12 bolls, 3 firlots, 2 pecks. Meal, 15 „ 12 „ 2 „ Oats, 1 „ 14 „ 2 „* Out of the Third of this revenue there was then paid to the King £100 ; and in 1591 there was paid £271. As a pound Scots would then purchase as much as a pound sterling now, the several items of the above revenue would probably be equal in annual value to about £1500 sterling at the pre- sent day. t But they included only what then remained of the Abbey property, the greater part of it having been pre- viously alienated. The remainder consisted mostly of feu- duties, forming but a small part of the value of the origi- nal endowments. The Abbey lands in the present parish of Balmerino were those of Balmerino, Kirkton, Scurr, Kilburns, Scrogieside, Cathills, Bottomcraig, Drumcharry, Dochrone, Bangove, Pitmossie, Fincraigs, Ballindean, Grange, Cultra, Corbie or Birkhill, Thornton, Demmings, Byres, and Leadwells. It appears that Abbot Robert did not long survive the attack on his establishment in 1559. He must have been then well advanced in life, and perhaps that calamity, as Mr TurnbuU conjectures, may have hastened his end. The * From a IMS. in the Advocates' Library. t In comparing tliis revenue with the Valuation of the Abbey in 1275 (for which see page 85) it must be remembered that since that period the Scottisli coinage had been greatly degraded in value. In 1275 out of a pound weight of pure silver there was coined £1 ; ia 1565, £18 ; in IGOl, £36. The whole extent of the Abbey lands alone probably now exceeds £10,000 sterling in annual value. I w 130 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART exact period of his death is unknown, hut we have seen that he granted a Tack in August 1559. On the death of any of the Popish beneficiaries, the sovereign generally presented a layman in his room, though, of course, the cloistral life was no longer continued. In this way John Hat was appointed Commendatory Abbot after the death of Abbot Eobert. Sibbald assigns his appointment to the year 1561. The por- tions of such private Monks as should embrace Protest- antism were, at the request of the Eeformed ministers, con- tinued to them for life.* But many of them were reduced to beggary through the avarice of those who got possession of the Cburch lands. " Hope guides the young ; but when the old must pass The threshold, whither shall they turn to find The hospitality — the alms (alas ! Alms may be needed) which that House bestowed?" Xot a few Monks, however, zealously embraced the Ee- formed doctrines, and earned an honest Hvelihood in the Protestant ministry. It is said that fourteen of the Canons of St Andrews became pastors of the Churches which had belonged to the Priory, while the remainder continued to live in poverty and neglect about the monastery till their death. The lirst Protestant minister of Leuchars (to which Forgan was for a time united) was a Mr John Ure, formerly a Canon of the Priory of St Andrews. "VMiether any of the Monks of Balmerino became Eeformed ministers we have not been able to ascertain. But at least two of them con- tinued to live about the Abbey till 1586 ; and there is mention made of "the Convent" in two charters dated 1588 and 1600 respectively. In thus bringing to a close the proper history of the * Row's History, p. 13. (Wodrow Society Ed.) When a Monk died, his "portion" became the property of the Crown. II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 131 Abbey, — that is, of the cloistral life of the !Monks — it is not necessary that we should enter into any formal estimate of the work which the Monks performed for their country and times, since we have already attempted to sketch this in our introductory chapter. It is important, however, to bear in mind that the monastic system was not overturned till it had for some time lost whatever usefulness it once possessed. In the earlier stages of its development it was virtually a protest against the ignorance, barbarism, and lawlessness which then prevailed. It embodied an earnest, though a misguided re- action from worldliness, and the worship of brute force. In the monasteries were reared the noblest characters that adorned the Church in those ages — the men who took the lead in every Christian enterprise. The tenacity of life which the monastic system exhibited, as well as the extension to which it attained prove that it had in it an element of truth and goodness, since no institution can flourish long and' widely on absolute falsehood. But the period of the cloister's purity and usefuhiess passed away. The primary cause of the change was the enormous amount of wealth which the mon- asteries-possessed. This induced luxurious living, which, in a mode of life so unnatural, became the parent of vice. Thus they who had renounced the world were overcome by the world, and the name of a Monk, which had once been asso- ciated with ideas of austerity and saintliness, became at length synonymous with indolence and laxity of morals. There were other causes, too, for the general contempt into which the monastic Orders fell from the beginning of the sixteenth cen- tury. The world had not been standing still during the pre- vious ages. More especially had the printing-press freed the human mind from the bonds of superstition. An intellec- tual awakening had everywhere taken place. Men were be- ginning to examine into the reality of those things in the belief and practice of which they had been trained ; and when the diffusion of the Holy Scriptures in the vulgar 132 BALMERIXO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART tongiie came to aid and direct this spirit of inquiry, monasti- cisni was one of the things "W'eighed in the "balances and found wanting. The Monks had, in fact, outlived their day, even as the nation had outgrown its childhood. When know- ledge and religion were becoming common possessions, and law and civilization had attained to some form and power, the monasteries were felt to be unnecessary ; and the clois- tral life, wanting, as it then too generally did. the salt of morahty, had nothing in it which could save it from de- struction. Finally, the unbounded devotion of the Monks to the interests of the Papacy, when the nation was making determined efforts to throw off its yoke, excited against them such a spirit of hostility as caused the already full cup of indignation to overflow ; and when the demand for reformation of the Churcb at length came in tones which refused a denial, the loudest cry raised was for the demohtion of the houses then misnamed Eeligious. Let us be thankful for the overthrow of Popery, and of its greatest stay, the monastic system ; but let us also have the candour and good feeling to acknowledge our obligations to the Monks of the ^Middle Ages for the Sacred Truth, the Arts, and the Civil- ization which their peaceful retirement, studies, and labours have preserved and bequeathed to us. And let us not forget that when the pure Gospel was at length about to be freed from Popish error, the Monks themselves were the chief agents in the good work. For as the decaying fruit of the tree is found to conceal a new seed which, it has formed within it- self, and out of which are to be evolved other forms of life and beauty ; so the germ from which was to be deve- loped the Protestant church was engendered amidst the cor- ruptions of Eomish monasticism. The Keformers of all countries, from Luther downwards, generally arose from amongst the Monastic Orders, xlnd as the Monks were the first to preach again the pure Gospel, so they were amongst the foremost to die for it. Perliaps a majority of those who II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 133 suffered death in Scotland foi trines were Plonks or Friars. suffered death in Scotland for embracing the Reformed doc- CHAPTER X. THE COMMEXDATOES : JOHN HAY, HENHY KINNEIR, JOHN KINNEIR, AND ROBERT AUCHMOUTY. THE ABBACY ERECTED INTO A TEMPORAL LORDSHIP. "A fight That shows, ev'n on its better side, the might Of proud Self-will, Rapacity, and Lust, 'Mid clouds enveloped of polemic dust." Wordsworth. John Hay appears to have been descended from the first family of that name who had been Lairds of Naughton, but who were now extinct in the main line. His appointment as Commendator of the Abbey would entitle him to two- thirds of its revenues — subject to the maintenance of the surviving Monks — the remaining third being reserved for the use of the Protestant ministers and the Crown. Hay was also Prior of Monymusk,* Principal Master of Requests to Queen Mary, and a Privy Councillor. He was employed by his royal mistress on various missions of a con- fidential nature. He is described by Tytler as a prudent and able man, a favourer of Moray, and a friend of Randolph, * Laing's Ed. of Knox's Works, II. 482. The Priory of Monymusk was '■ set" for £'iOO after the Reformation. 134 BALMERIXO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART the English Ambassador.* On one occasion he was sent by -vj Queen i\Iary as " Legate to Christian III, King of the Danes, ^j Norwegians, Goths, and Yandals."t ^ In January 1564-5 we have a notice of another " Queen's "^ visit" to Balmerino. It would appear that Queen Mary had ^ at this time become tired of her metropolis on account of the \ censures which John Knox and the other Eeforming leaders <\ passed on her balls, concerts, and banquets ; and especially in consequence of their personal observations on herself and Jj her fair attendants. " As for Edinburgh (writes Knox), it ■ii likes our ladies nothing." Accordingly Mary escaped from that city as often as possible, and took delight in visiting the v^ provinces. A favourite place of resort was St Andrews, \ where, exchanging the pomp of royalty for the repose of do- mestic life, she took up her abode in the house of a burgess, n^ attended by her four Maries | and a few other chosen friends. > iS We get an interesting glimpse of her unconstrained and X^ happy life on these excursions from her capital, from an in- V* cident which occurred during one of her Wsits to St An- .^ drews. Randolph, the English Ambassador, had followed her to the Ancient City with a packet from his royal mistress "^ on the subject of her marriage with Leicester. But Mary \j refused to enter upon business. " I sent for you (she said) ^ to be merry, and to see how, like a bourgeoise wife, I- live C ^ with my little troop ; and you will interrupt our pastime Q with your grave and great matters. I pray you. Sir, if you ^ ^ be weary here, return home to Edinburgh, and keep your \^ gravity and great embassade until the Queen come thither ; x *. for, I assure you, you shall not get her here." When Ran- ^ dolph expressed his surprise that her love for his Mistress » Tytler's History of Scotland. ^ + Euddiman's '• Epistola Regum Scotise." " ^ X These were^IaryJBeton, Mary Seton, Mary Livingstone, and ^ Mary Fleming. 'TEeyTia^ been her companions from her child- >li hood, in Scotland and France. i r / / ^ kl'!pij2M^J^ X ^ Qi^K. HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 135 x V (> > ^i ^ . . rf M wai apparently altered, " it pleased her at this to be very i^ '^^ merry (he writes), and called me by more names than were^ v ^ given me in my Christendom. At those merry conceits ^^ much good sport was made." r '^ It was while on her way to St Andrews, on the oo-\j \^ «^casion to which the above incidenT refers, that Queen ^>^ ^Mary visited Balmerino — perhaps on the invitation ofN^^^ ,«xtend to about a week's length. She must have beeli )i lodged in some of the Abbey Buildings still standing — per- ^ haps the Commendator s House ; and we may presume that her manner of life was of the same merry and easy descrip^JX^Xi J tion as at St Andrews. "In the end of January (writes John ^ ^N Knox) the Queen past to Fjfe, and, visiting the gentlemen's ^ houses, was magnificently banquetted every where, so that ^^ such superfluity was never seen before in this realme ; I 'v^ which caused the wilde fowl to be so dear, that partridges ^ were sold for a crown a-piece."* Misfortunes soon after- s' wards crowded upon Queen Mary, but she was still popular, ^ and, though already a widow, had only just comj)leted her / ^ 22d year. ■ No There are still to be traced portions of an ancient road, p remarkable for its great breadth, which, according to tra- ■ ^ dition, led from Balmerino Abbey to St Andrews. Pro- '"'^^ ceeding, apparently, up by the "Kirk Loan," it passed s^ eastwards by the north end of the present Manse, and after- wards close in front of !N"aughton House. Thence it led up ^ in front of iNaughton to Gauldry, and across the moor to ^ Kilmany Valley ; and leaving the present road near " Brig- ^X house," passed over the hill towards the Gair Bridge. By V u this route the youthful Queen, with her merry "troop" of ^' ladies and other attendants, in all probability travelled to St ^^ Andrews. It was her custom on such excursions to be ^ * Works, Laing's Ed. 11. 471. ^-:^ 136 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART mounted on horseback, for in those days roads were rough, and wheeled carriages rare.* The Ettrick Shepherd has thus versified the description which tradition has preserved of Queen Marj'-'s appearance on horseback : — " Light on her airj steed she sprung, Around with golden tassels hung. No chieftain there rode half so free, Or half so light or gracefully. When the gale heaved her bosom's screen, What beauties in her form'were seen! And when her courser's mane it swung, A thousand silver bells were rung. A sight so fair on Scotland's plain A Scot shall never see again." It may be mentioned that Queen Mary remained at this time only ten days in St Andrews, and went thence to An- struther Castle, Lundie, and Wemyss Castle in succession. At the latter house she met, for the first time since his boy- hood, her future husband, the ill-fated Darnley, her union with whom was the beginning of her misfortunes, f Eeturning to our Commendator, we find that he was present at a solemn convention of the nobility held at Stir- ling on the loth of May 1565, when Queen Mary announced her purpose of marrying Darnley, and that measure was un- animously approved of ;}: in June of the same year Her Majesty entrusted Hay with a mission to Queen Elizabeth, having for its object to induce her to consent to ]\Iary's marriage with the Lord Darnley, and to intercede for the liberation of the Countess of Lennox his mother. Elizabeth's answer to this request was to send the Countess, who had hitherto been confined to her own * At the stag-hunt, or the hawking, Queen Mary often rode a cailk'white steed. — (Burton's History of Scotland.) t Miss Strickland's Lives of the Queens of Scotland, vol. iv. p. 72, &c. Lyon's Hist, of St Andrews, vol. i. p. 351. X Tytler's History of Scotland. IT.] HISTORY OP THE ABBEY. 137 apartment, to the Tower, and to summon Lennox and Damley to return to England under the penalty of outlawry or for- feiture.* In the following month Hay was sent to the Earl of Moray to make known to him the goodwill of Lennox and Darnley, and to declare the falsehood of the report which had gone abroad that they were meditating to slay Moray. Lennox, at the same time, offered to fight with any one w'lio should dare to avow this — a challenge which Moray did not accept, f In February 1564, ^vhen the Tack, previously obtained by James Balfour, was about to expire, John Hay and the Convent — that is, such of the Monks as still survived — granted to John Kinneir of that Ilk another Tack, which received confirmation under the Great Seal in 1565, of the "rents and fruits" of the Abbey for nineteen years after Martinmas 1569 [1564 ?], for the annual payment of 900 merks, as before. i In June 1573 the same Commendator granted to Henry Kinneir, son of the foresaid John Kinneir, a Tack of the " teinds, teind sheaves, and other profits, rents, and duties of the towns and lands of the Abbey, with the pertinents of the Parochines and Parish Kirks of Logic and Balmerino, for nineteen years after Lambmass 1573, for the annual j^ay- ment of 100 merks." If this Tack embraced more than the sjJirifualif;/, or teinds due to the Abbey Churches, the smallness of the rent must be accounted for by the suppo- sition that Kinneir had given Hay a large sum of money besides.§ John Hay died at Edinburgh on the 3d of December 1573,|| and was succeeded by the above mentioned Henry Kinxeir, who obtained the Commendatorship of the Abbey by a letter * Miss Strickland's Lives of the Queens of Scotland, vol. iv. p. 135. t Ibid. vol. iv. X Balmerino Writs. § Ibid. II Register of Confirmed Testaments. Laing's Ed. of Knox's AYorks, ii., 482. 138 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART from King James VI., dated the 6th of May 1574, and ad- dressed to the " Archbishop of St. Andrews," directing that dignitary to give him institution into office.* In this docu- ment Kinneir is described as a " true professor and supporter of the Christian religion, conspicuous for learning, and for honesty of life, and a Candidate of Philosophy in the Uni- versity of St. Andrews, having completed the 21st year of his age." The King's letter reserves to James Douglas, natural son of the Regent, an annual life-pension of .£50 out of the Abbey revenues, according to the tenor of the pro- vision granted to him thereupon ; £80 as stipend to the minister of Balmerino and Logie ; £20 to the reader of Logie ; and £60 to the minister of Barry, inclusive of Barry vicarage so soon as it shall be vacant ; provided such sums shall not exceed the third part of the Abbey revenues. Henry Kinneir appears to have been jDromoted to the Bench, since his name occurs as Commendator of Balmerino in the Catalogue of the Lords of Session of 1575. His ele- vation was probably a result of the settlement by the Leith Convention of 1572, whereby Abbots were to be continued as part of the Spiritual Estate of the realm, that they might act as Senators of the College of Justice; eight of the fifteen Lords of Session, including the President, having been originally Churchmen. In 1574 the Commendator and Convent, " chapterly gathered," granted a Tack of the teinds of Easter Cruivie to Mr David Carnegie for nineteen years, and a feu-charter of a house and garden at Bottomcraig, with pasture for one cow, to Alison Gagyf — two documents which are chiefly noteworthy as containmg, besides Kinneir's own signature, only those of Thomas Stevinson and John Tester as then forming the "Convent," It is probable that they were * Registr. Sigill. Mag. See Appendix, No. IX. t Balmerino Cliartulary, Appendix, Nos. VIII., IX. II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 139 amongst the youngest of the Monks at the time of the Re- formation. They are now — fifteen years after the visit of the Reformers to the Abbey — the only survivors of the old fraternity.* In one of those charters of 1574 there occurs the name of a John Tester as Commendator's bailifi", and from the Balmerino Writs it appears that this John Tester was married. It is thus probable that he was none other than the quondam Monk, and that having embraced Protest- antism, he followed still further the example of Luther by disregarding his vow of celibacy, and taking to himself a wife. In 1581 Henry Kinneir demits the benefice of the Abbey in the King's hands for a new gift of it to his son John, ■who is accordingly appointed "Abbot and Commendator " for life, there being reserved to his father his life-rent thereof, and to the ministers of the Abbey Kirks their stipends. t In 1586 Commendator Henry gives to John Kinneir of Barnden, with confirmation under the Great Seal, a Tack of the fruits of the Abbacy for nineteen years after Martinmas of that year, for the annual payment of 900 merks as in former Tacks. J In 1587 was passed the celebrated Annexation Act, whereby the temporalities of Church benefices — that is, the Church lands — were annexed to the crown ; the " castles, mansion-houses, and pertinents" of the dignified Clergy being, however, exempted from annexation. The ostensible reason for this measure was, that the royal revenues might be in- creased, and the nation thus saved from taxation. It is well known, however, that the real design of those courtiers who * Their names occur, as farming the Convent, down to 1586, and one, or both of them, appear to have survived till 1600. Thomas Stevynson signs a charter, along with the rest of the Monks, as early as 1537 — the first signature of his which we have met with. t Balmerino Writs. X Ibid. 140 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART ad^dsed it was, that they themselves and their friends might get the Church lands into their own possession, by grants from a weak monarch. The Church allowed itself to be deluded into a compliance with the scheme by the assurance held out that the alienation of those rich endowments would effectually prevent the restoration of Episcopacy (since there would be no means of endowing bishoprics), and by the promise given that the whole of the spirituality, or tithes — the proper patrimony of 'the Church— would be applied to the sustentation of the parochial Clergy — a pro- mise which was never fulfilled. Probably in consequence of the passing of this Act, Henry Kinneir and the "Convent" again resigned, in 1588, the Abbacy into the King's hands for a new gift of it, by charter under the Great Seal, to himself, his spouse Christian Beton, and the longest liver of them, and to John Kinneir their eldest son, and his heirs male, whom failmg, to David Kin- neir his brother, in fee and heritage. This charter sets forth that, "by the Eeformation of religion the buildings of the monastery have sustained great damage without any subse- quent rej^air ;" and conveys to the Kinneirs, amongst other things, "the Place upon which the Monastery Church of Balmerino was of old situated, there being no Parochial Church." From this it would appear that the Abbey Church had, by that time, been to a great extent, if not wholly, demolished.* It would appear that Henry Kinneir was deprived of his interest in the Abbacy for treason, and a gift of his life-rent escheat was conferred HBy the Iving on James Bartlett in Cultra, on the 8th of March IGOO.t Bartlett, however, died before the 1st of October of that year. Sir James Elphinstone, Secretary of State to James YI., ob- tained a gift of the lands of Barry, which was confirmed under * Registr. Sigill. Mag. f Balmerino Writs. II.] HISTORY OP THE ABBEY. 141 the Great Seal on the 1st of July 1600. From this charter it appears that the patronage of Barry Church, rectorage and vicarage, and that of the Vicarage Pensionary of Barry were then in possession of the Commendator and " Convent " of Balmerino, and were resigned into the King's hands by them, and conferred on Elphinstone.* Some of the transactions which follow are difficult to ex- plain, being, apparently, inconsistent with each other. We shall merely set them down in the order in which, according to the records, they are stated to have occurred. On the 20th of February 1603 [1604?] Sir James Elphinstone obtained, with confirmation under the Great Seal, a grant of the Abbacy, both temporality and spiritu- ality, then vacant by the decease of John Kiimeir, and had it erected into the^temporal Lordship of Balmerino in his own favour. This grant included the patronage and whole tithes of the three Abbey Churches, with the whole of the Abbey lands, fishings, &c., and dissolved and suppressed the Monastery; the reddendo to the King to be £100 as blench farm.+ On the 3d of November 1603J Lord Balmerino entered into a contract with Henry Kinneir, whereby the latter, M'ith consent of his spouse, and of his son David Kinneir, re- nounced the Abbacy and benefice thereof in favour of the former ; for which cause Lord Balmerino agreed to set in Tack to Henry Kinneir during his lifetime the Abbey Place, yards, orchards, cornyards, wood, park, and dovecot, the * Registr. Sigill. Mag. f Ibid. X The year anciently commenced on the 25th of March, and con- tinued to do so in England till 1753. In Scotland it was made to commence in 1600, as in France, on the 1st of January, by royal pro- clamation. But as the change seems not to have been at once generally adopted, it is often difficult to know, in the case of dates between the 1st of January and 25th of March, to which year they are to be assigned. This has led to much confusion of dates in the early part of the 17th century. / 142 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART overmiln, the eastwood, and fishings; and to present David Kinneir to the Church of Auchterhouse, which, apparently with a view to this arrangement, had in the previous month heen demitted by Mr Alexander Tyrie, parson and vicar thereof, into the hands of Lord Balmerino, its patron.* On the 18th of February 1604- the King constituted Mr EoBERT AucHMouTY, SOU of Mr Da\'id Auchmouty, advo- cate in St, Andrews, Commendator of the spirituality of the Abbacy, " vacant in His Majesty's hands byjhe_decease of Mr John Kinneir, or by the rebe llion and inhabihty of Henry Kinneir. "f On the 14th of May 1 60o Eobert Auchmouty resigned into the King's hands the spirituaHty of the Abbey, that His Majesty might grant it to whomsoever he pleased. J The erection of the Abbacy into a temporal Lordship in favour of Sir James Elphinstone was ratified by the Parlia- ment held at Perth in 1606. The Act, which is dated the 9th July of that year, sets forth that the temporahty, pro- perty, and superiority of the Abbey were then in His Majesty's hands by the Annexation Act of 1587 ; and that the spirituality of the said benefice, containing the Abbey Place and Monastery, with the houses, yards, &:c. within the precincts of the Abbey, together with theteind sheaves and other teinds, &:c., both parsonage and vicarage, of the Parish Churches ol Balmerino, Barry, and Logic, and of the Vicarage Pensionary of Barry, which came under the general exception from the said annexation, and which lately pertained to Eobert Auch- mouty, Commendator of the spirituality of the Abbey, had been resigned by him (fhfire being none of the Convent then aZ/ye), under the Common Seal of the Abbey, into His Majesty's hands ; and also that the lands and baronies of Kirknewton and Ballerno, with the patronage of Kirknewton, were in * Balmerino Writs. f Ibid. X Ibid. U.] HrST0RT"0F THE ABBEY. 143 the King's hands by the annexation of the Earldom of Gowrie. The Act then unites and incorporates these lands and baronies with the lands, baronies, &c., of the Abbacy of Ealmerinoch, both temporality and spirituality, and erects them into a free barony and estate of one temporal Lord- sliip of Parliament in favour of Sir James Elphinstone, and his heirs male of tailzie and provision — the King remitting the Thirds of the Abbey, with all Monks' portions, first year fruits, and fifth penny ; and Lord Balmerino undertaking the sustentation of the several ministers, and paying all taxes ; the said Lordship being reckoned as £32, 4s. 5d. land of "old extent."* And the Act ccmcludes thus — "And to the effect foresaid His Majesty and Estates of Par- liament have SUPPRESSED and extinguished the memory of THE SAID Abbacy of Ealmerinoch, that there shall be nae successor provydit, nor na forder mention maid op THE same in ONY TIME HEREAFTER. "f In the deed of Sasine which follows the above, the Abbey Place of Balmerino is appointed to be the "principal mes- suage" of the said Lordship and Barony of Balmerino, and the blench farm is fixed at 200 merks.;]: It is to be observed that most of the Abbey lands in this Parish and elsewhere having been previously feued off, Lord Balmerino obtained little more than the superiorities. § Most of the lands forming the present estate of Balmerino were afterwards bought back by the family at various periods down to 1702. The Kinneirs probably retained some interest in the Ab- bey as late as 1619, on the 2oth of February of which year David Kinneir, minister of Auchterhouse, as heir to John Kinneir, eldest son of the deceased Henry, resigned the * Another account of the "old extent" of the Lordship of Bal- merino makes it £24, 4s. 5d. t Acts of Scottish Parliament in 11 vols. | Balmerino Writs. § See Appendix, Nos. VH., XXV. 144 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART Manor-place, and various small portions of land, houses, yards, woods, fishings, &c., adjacent thereto, into the hands of the second Lord Balmerino the superior, that the right of property might be consolidated with the right of superiority.* But as Kinneir had got infeftment of these only three weeks previously, his resignation of them was perhaps merely a legal form.f Such notices as we have of the later Bailies of the Abbey may be here introduced. In 1587 David Seton of Par- broath obtained by decrcet-arbitral from Henry Kinneir, then Commendator, a grant of the heritable Bailery of Bal- merino.;}: On the 5th of December 1599 John Kinneir, "fiar of that Ilk," and his heirs male, obtained a grant from the King (in whose hands it was in virtue of the Annexation Act) of the heritable Bailiery of Balmerino, with all the emol- uments belonging to the office. § The charter which con- fers this grant states that John Kinneli- and his predecessors had been ''for these many years past " Baihes to the Abbots of Balmerino, of all the lands, baronies, fishings, &c. of the Abbey, in virtue of divers titles and rights granted to him thereupon — and it reserves the Bailery of Barry, which had been granted to Sir James Elphinstone. On the 3d of Feb- ruary 1619, David Kinneir of that Ilk was served heir of John Kinneir of that Ilk in the office of Bailie of Balmerino, and on the 8th of April of that year he renounced it to Lord Balmerino. II It has abeady been stated^ that the Bailiery of Barry was given in Tack to Sir Thomas Maule of Panmure in 1511, and that the Tack was several times renewed to that family. In 1590 James YI. granted a heritable gift of the office to * Balmerino "Writs. t John Kinneir, son of David, is served heir to these in 1635. Thomson's Abbreviate of Retours.) X Balmerino Writs. § Registr. Sigill. Mag. II Do. ^ See page 109. II. J HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 145 Patrick Maule of Panmure. In 1599 Sir James Elpliinstone granted a charter of the Bailiery of Barry to the Earl of Panmure. In 1667 Lord Balmerino disposed of it to George, Earl of Panmure, who in 1672 obtained confirmation under the Great Seal. It was still in that family in 1686, and doubtless remained so till forfeited in consequence of Lord Panmure's accession to the Rebellion of 1715. The value of the office of Abbot's Bailie — or the Re- gality of the Abbey — may be inferred from the large sums allowed by Parliament in 1747 (when hereditary juris- dictions were abolished) as compensation for the loss of such offices. The Earl of Airlie obtained £1400 for the Bailiery of Arbroath Abbey, and £800 for that of Cupar Abbey. The Regality of Dunfermline was valued at £2,672. That of Balmerino was not valued, being forfeited at the Rebellion then recently terminated. In the same year in which the Abbacy of Balmerino was conferred on Sir James Elphinstone, there were no fewer than seventeen nev/ "erections" of Church lands into tem- poral Lordships.'"" Regret has often and justly been ex- pressed that the endowments of the ancient Church were lost to the nation by being thus misappropriated to the ag- grandizement of the few. When the Religious Houses were suppressed, the intentions of the original donors ought to have been respected, which would have been substantially done, had their revenues been applied to the three great ob- jects desired by the Church — the sustentation of the min- istry ; the endowment of colleges, and of burgh and parish schools; and the maintenance of the poor. The Church property was amply sufficient for the carrying out of all those objects on the most liberal scale, and thus the nation would have been saved from three of the heaviest taxes which now press upon it. " ISo one (as Dr Cunning- ham remarks) would lose anything, only some of our great * Calderwood's History, vi., 494. K 146 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART proprietors T\'ould never have possessed their extensive domains. Some great lords would be but country gentle- men with small estates, untroubled with dreams about nobility ; and others might rejoice in ancient titles, but lack the broad acres which now give them support. Public officers, and not private factors, would be lifting the rents of our ancient monasteries ; and yet the present holders could not be said to have lost what, according to our supposition, they never possessed. The community would have reaped, as it ought to have done, the benefit of the Church's ac- cumulated wealth."* CHAPTEE XL WHAT BECAME OE THE AEBEY CHUECH. "The floor with manv a monumental stone Was spread, and brass-ensculptured effigies Of holy Abbots honoured in their day, Now to the grave gone down. The branching arms Of many a ponderous pillar met aloft, "Wreathed on the roof embossed." Southey. It is difficult to trace the fate of the Abbey Church after the Eeformation. The terms of Henry Kinneir's charter of the Abbacy, which, as we have seen, is dated 1588, and which makes mention of the '' Place upon which the Monas- tery Church was of old situated," would induce the inference that the Church was then ruinous, if not wholly removed. f * Cunningham's Church History of Scotland, vol. i. p. 367. t It may be remarked that the statements in some of the charters which passed the Great Seal are but '' the depositions of parties in their own favour, and are to be viewed with the utmost suspicion." See Tytler's Xote on Parliament and Charters of liS2. Kiuneir had an interest in declaring the Abbey to be ruinous. II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 147 On the other hand, it is stated in the Old Statistical Account of Balmerinothat the Abbey Church served as the Parish Church till the year 1595, when a new one was built. And again, in a letter from the Eev. Andrew Hut ton, minister of Kil- man}', dated 1789, and addressed to General Hutton, the erection of the new Church is assigned to the year 1611.* It is asserted in Thomson's History of Dundee that when the transept of St Mary's Church in that town was roofed anew in 1588, "the wooden work was brought from Bal- merino Abbey, being, in fact, the entire roof of the Abbey Church there, the dimensions of which were about co-exten- sive with those of the transept, being 174 feet in length, and 44 in breadth." It is added, that about 1788-9, when the "West or Steeple Church was re- erected, the south transept (or South Church) " received a roof a second time, and the old oaken roof from Balmerino was taken down and sold. A portion of it w^as purchased by James Guthrie of Craigie for the purpose of making gate-posts in several of his fields at Craigie, some of which were to be seen since 1820. A very considerable portion was also purchased by the heritors of Monifieth for the purpose of roofing their old parish church, which was taken down to make way for the erection of the present one in 1812."t Thus far Thomson. In the Xew Statistical Account of Monifieth Parish it is stated that " a great part of the present Church [erected in 1813] is built of the materials of the old Abbey of Bal- merino. That edifice was dismantled, and the stones shipped down the Tay by the second Lord Balmerino [1613-49] for the purpose of repairing the old church of Monifieth : his object being to save expense, as he was the chief heritor in the parish." * General Hutton's MS. Collections, vol. vi. (vol. on Fife) in the Advocate-s' Library. See the Letter in Appendix, Ko. XXIII. t Thomson's Hi^story of Dundee, pp. 295, 2'JG. 148 BALMERIXO AND 1X3 ABBEY. [PART These two accounts of Monifieth Church are perhaps only- different versions of one fact — that some of the materials, either wood or stones, of the Church, or other buildings of Balmerino Abbey were used in the repair of the old Church of Monifieth. As to Thomson s other statements about the Church of Dundee, there is probably some founda- tion for them, though the " whole roof" of the Abbey Church was very much larger than the roof of the transept of the former edifice. If he is correct as to the date 1588, and if the roof of the Abbey Church was taken down in the early- part of that year, this would not be inconsistent with the terms of Henry Kinneir's charter, which was not granted till the 5th of December 1588. If the Abbey Church had been used as the Parish Church till that time, a new one would probably be built soon afterwards. But perhaps St Ayle's chapel was still in existence, and used as the place of worship till 1595 or 1611. The reason assigned by Mr Hutton for the removal of the Church to the site of the present grave-yard is, "because the Countess [meaning Lady Balmerino] could not bear the noise of the Psalms on Sunday" so near her abode. If tliis reason was the true one, the date 1611, given by Mr Hutton, might be correct, to the exclusion of 1595, since there was no Lady Balmerino till 1603 ; while 1611 would coincide with the period of Lord Balmerino' s retirement to this place, when he was under the King's displeasure. We have thus no certain information whether, or how long, the Abbey Church was used as a place of worship after the Eeformation, or as to the date of the erection of the new Church. But, on the whole, it is probable that the Abbey Church, called St Mary's, stood for some considerable time after 1 559. The cause of its demolition, as in the case of most similar structures throughout Scotland, was, no doubt, the unwillingness of those who got possession of the Abbey lands to be at the expense of repairing and maintaining it. ll.j HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 149 They would feel tliemselves, too, all the more secure in the enjoyment of Church plunder when there no longer existed any danger, in the shape of a beautiful Gothic Church, of their lands being restored to a religious use. ** The idolatry of superstition was superseded by the idolatry of selfishness." The new Church, which lasted till 1811, was of that unsightly style of architecture which parsimony and bad taste have inflicted on Scotland down almost to the present day, when at length all parties are becoming ashamed to see even private dwellings surpass in stateliness and splendour the House of God. " The wood-work of the Abbey (says Mr Leighton) seems to have been used in the erection of this Church, and some of the carved work was used to ornament tlie fronts of the pews. A carved oak panel is still in the Museum of the Fifeshire Antiquarian Society, which was taken from the Parish Church when it was taken down [in 1811], and which had originally formed a panel in front of one of the stalls, or the pulpit in the Abbey Church. The carving, which is very rude, and in all probability as old as the erection of the monastery, represents at the top of the panel a man on horseback, and below this a person in a fantastic dress doing penance, and undergoing flagellation from the hands of an- other who has a rod or whip raised for the purpose. Under- neath these two figures is another individual looking up to the person doing penance, and holding a dish or cup towards him."* When the new Church was built, or sometime afterwards, the dust of the Convent graveyard (which was situated to the south and west of the Abbey Church, and was used also as the Parish burying-ground) was, strange to say, carted up and deposited around that edifice. Tradition asserts, how- ever, that this desecration was stopped by the ghosts of the dead forbidding the workmen to disturb their repose ! • "Fife Illustrated," Art., " Balmerino." 150 BALMERTXO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART From this time on^ya^ds the Abbey buildings appear to have been used as a common quarry for the neighbourhood. The houses and fences around the village of Balmcrino con- tain many carved stones which once adorned its walls. The very foundation of a row of pillars in the interior of the Church were not long since dug out, and removed for building purposes. Now, however, the Abbey ruins are more carefully preserved. CHAPTER XII. EXISTIiN'G EUINS OF THE ABBEY. " How reyerend the old Abbey's ivied walls ! How pleasant in their sweet solemnity !" Wilsoic. There being no notice of the Abbey buildings in the Char- tulary, the means of determining their original style or ex- tent are now very scanty. The greater part of them has long since disappeared, and what remains is, with the excep- tion of the Cloisters of the Chapter-House, by no means a picturesque object. Such notices as we have of the ancient structure were written after it had gone to decay : there is, so far as we know, no contemporary description of it extant. All the traditional accounts, however, represent the ]\Ionas- tery as a building of great beauty. Father Hay says it was " formerly a faire and noble structure." Spottiswoode, in his History of Eeligious Houses, writes : — '' Balmerin- ach was an Abbey of a beautiful structure" — " was of old a stately building pleasantly situate near the shore, hard by the salt water of Tay, and is now for the most part in ruins." Defoe, the celebrated author of ^^FwUnson Crusoe" II.J HISTORY OF THE AEBET. 151 during his tour in Scotland in 1727 was tempted to visit it, but was disappointed with the result. " I turned (he says) to the north-east part of the county to see the ruins of the famous monastery of Balmerinoch, of which Mr Cambden takes notice, but saw nothing worthy of observation, the very ruins being almost eaten up by time." Cardonnel (1 788) calls it " an Abbey remarkable for the beauty of its structure." Referring the reader to our previous remarks on jVIonastic buildings,* w^e shall now briefly describe the existing ruins of the Abbey. According to the ground-plan engraved in the printed Chartulary, which, though partly conjectural, is probably in the main correct, the whole length of the Church was 235 feet,f and that of the transept 135 feet. The breadth of the Choir and ]N'ave was 58 feet, and that of the transepts 52 feet — all these being the exterior dimensions. Of the number or situation of the pillars of the Church we cannot, in the present state of the ground, afiirm anything with certainty. The bases of several pillars may still be seen along what remains of the north wall of the jS'ave and north Transept ; one in the latter place being richly clustered. The principal entrance from the Cloisters into the Church is supposed to have been through the north wall of the nave. With the exception of a portion of this wall, and of the west and north sides of the north transept, the spacious Church, which, no doubt, had its clustered pillars, groined arches, richly carved wood-work, and stained-glass windows, with * See page 52. t The length of St. Andrews Cathedral Church was 358 feet. ,, Arbroath Abbey Church 284: „ „ Glasgow Cathedral „ 283 „ Elgin „ „ 282 „ „ Lindores Abbey „ 240 „ „ Kirkwall Cathedral „ 218 ,, „ Aberdeen „ „ 200 „ The English Cathedrals were, in general, much larger than the %^^ - sill - /7Jl C^^^^. S/0 - 152 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [pAR costly altars around its interior, and on its floor and walls beautifully sculptured tombs, has now wholly disappeared ; and the spot on which was heard for centuries the solemn chanting of psalms and mediaeval hymns, and over which there passed many a stately procession, while the strains of the organ pealed along its aisles,* is now marked only by heaps of grass-grown rubbish, trees, and bramble-bushes — " No matins now, no vesper sung ; Time mocks at last the human tongue." Even the site of Queen Ermengarde's tomb cannot be identi- fied. Sibbald, writing about the end of the 1 7th century, says that her statue was in the Abbey " within these few years." Connected with the north transept is an apartment which may have been used as a sacristy, or a vestry. Its arched roof is semi-cylindrical. In the south wall is a door leading into the Church, which was perhaps used as a private en- trance for the Monks ; and in the opposite wall is another door opening out into the cloisters. There was probably a third door in the east wall by which the Abbot would have access to the apartment, and thence to the Church. The Cloisters just mentioned, forming the entrance into the Chapter-House, are now the most entire and interesting portion of the ruins, and are sufficient to awaken in the mind * It was the opinion of William Tytler of "VYoodhouselee that we owe the first introduction of organs and of a choral service into the Cathedral and Abbey Churches of Scotland to James I. (U06). But his grandson, the historian of Scotland, informs us that in 1250, when the body of St. ISIargaret was removed from the outer Church of Dunfermline Abbey, where she was originally interred, to the Choir beside the high altar, the procession of priests and Abbots, who car- ried the corpse upon their shoulders, "moved along to the sound of the organ, and the melodious songs of the choir singing in parts." Hist, of Scotland, Chap. vi. Section vi. See also Calderwood (i. 48), who sars — "They placed a great part of religion in curious singing in these dayes." II. J HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 153 of the visitor keen regret that more of the Abbey buildings have not been preserved.* Tlie Cloisters are of the Decorated, or Middle-Pointed style, -which, in Scotland, prevailed from about the year 1286 to 1372. The arches of the groined roof, which have moulded ribs, originally sprung from six octagonal isolated piers, with four not isolated, and two cor- bels rising from the walls. Two of the isolated, and two of the undetached piers have been removed, leaving six of both kinds, which have moulded bases and floriated capitals, the leaves forming the ornamentation being different in each pillar, and some of them still very perfect. The bosses of the arches seem to have contained armorial bearings, now almost wholly effaced. One has a shield charged with a bend, but the rest of the blazon cannot be deciphered. There are two holes, resembling chimney-vents, piercing the roof, but what purpose they served in such a place it is difficult to conjecture. Probably the Balmerino family made alterations on the structure, which increase the difficulty of tracing out its original form. Sedilia, or stone benches, run round the walls of the cloisters. Many " Masons' Marks " are still visible on the pillars, and other parts of the building. The Chapter-House, to which these Cloisters lead, was the place in which the Abbot and Monks usually assembled to consult about the affairs, and administer the discipline of the Convent, and where the Superiors of the community were elected, novices admitted, &c. This portion of monas- tic structures was generally designed and ornamented with no less elegance than the Church itself. Here the arched roof * MrT. S. Muir, the learned author of "Descriptive Notices of the Ancient Parochial and Collegiate Churches of Scotland" (1848), falls into a strange mistake in thinking that these cloisters are pro- bably a portion of one of the transepts of the Church. (Page xii. of Introduction.) 154: BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART was probably supported b}'' a single pier in the centre.* The richness of the mouldings may be inferred from some brackets and portions of arches which remain, the lines of which are as sharply defined as when they left the sculptor's hands. This apartment was originally lighted by two square-headed windows in the east wall, one of which was afterwards con- verted into a door having a semi-circular top, and surmounted by a window of three square lights. There are several small square-headed windows round the upper portion of the east and north Avails, which do not harmonize with the style of the rest of the building, and seem to be of a later date. The exterior buttresses which supported these walls have been almost wholly removed. i^djoining the cloisters on the north side is an apartment having sedilia round the walls, a semi-cylindrical roof, and a pointed doorway. The exterior walls of this portion are of very inferior architecture, compared with the massive and closely jointed stones of the walls of the Chapter House. On the north corner of the building is a shield bearing a fess, between some figures which are undistinguishable. Attached to this portion of the building are three cells, two of wliich have an entrance only at the top, the other being entered from below. The two former look like places of imprisonment. It is supposed that other extensive buildings, which have now wholly disappeared, ran round a large quadrangular area called the Cloister Yard, the south side of which was formed by the nave of the Church. These buildings would contain the cells of the monks, dormitories, and other apart- ments of a domestic kind. The principal entrance to the whole * An example of this may be seen in the Chapter-House of Glas- gow Cathedral. The Chapter-House of the Cistercian Abbey of Glenluce, also still standing, has such a pillar (14 feet high) in the centre, " from whose top eight divergent arches span the intervening space to the surrounding walls." (Fullarton's Gazetteer of Scotland). II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 155 was perhaps on tlie west side, facing the Cloisters of the Chapter House. Within the memory of persons still alive there was on the west side of the cloistral area a building of considerable size, and to the north of it three arched gate- ways, a large one in the centre, and a small one on each side. These, however, seem to have led into the back court, or outer area, around which were the barns, granaries, and other outhouses, of which a part yet remains, distinguished by its high pointed gable and curiously arched doorways. Opposite this entrance on the east side was another arched gateway, now also removed. South-east of the Chapter-House was a detached house in which, latterly, Lord Balmerino lived. It was most probably that previously called the Commendator's house, and was perhaps originally the dwelling of the Abbot. " Two stone windows in the front (says Mr Hutton, in the letter already quoted) have the impression of arms on them ; and on the north end there is a bartizan, as they call it, looking towards the river." On the north end of this house was an arched room which still remains. Some have thought that this was a chapel ; its present appearance suggests rather the idea of its having been the Abbot's cellar.* Several stone coffins have been found about the ruins, but have not been preserved. IS'ear the end of last century, an image of the Virgin, with the Holy Child in her arms, was dug up, and given to Mr David Martin, " painter and anti- quarian." It was said to have once stood in a niche above two basins cut out in the stone, "probably for holding holy water," near the entrance of one of the arched apartments. In 1860, when workmen were digging a foundation for some new farm buildings near the Abbey, they found an ancient gold coin in good preservation, which proved to be an angel^ * It is popularly known as "Lord Balmerino's wine cellar." 156 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART SO called from its having on the obverse the figure of the archangel, Michael, piercing the dragon. On the same side was the inscription— HEXEIC. DE. GRA. REX. AGLI. & FRAXC Translation : — Henry, by the grace of God, King of England and France. On the reverse side Avas a cross surmounting a ship, and the legend : — PER. CRUC. TUA. SALYA. XOS. X. PE. REDE., which, in full, would be— PER CRUCEM TUAM SALVA XOS, CHRISTE, PEC- CATORUM REDEMPTOR. Translation :—By thy cross save us, Christ, Redeemer of sinners. On the right side of the cross was the letter H, for Henry. The arms were those of England. Wherever the ground about the ruins has been dug to any considerable depth, masonry has been found ; and if the accumulations of earth and rubbish were removed, the foundations of all the chief buildings might yet be laid bare, and the plan of the whole made out. This is very much to be desired.* East and south of St Mary's Church were the garden and orchards of the monastery, in which oyster shells still abound. About the beginning of the present century, there were here many fine fruit and other trees. The only remaining ones, worthy of special mention, are the following : — (1.) A Spanish chestnut, thought to be as old as the Abbey, and measuring, at a foot from the ground, eighteen feet in circumference ; at three feet from the ground, sixteen feet. In 1793 — as appears from the Old Statistical Account — it measured fifteen feet in girth ; at what distance from the ground it is not stated. Its length of trunk is only five feet ; its height about fifty feet. Some decayed parts of the trunk are covered with zinc plates and plaster to exclude the atmo- sphere. This venerable patriarch is still, however, in a flourishing condition : — • This has been recently done at Lindores Abbey. II.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 157 * " The spring Finds thee not less alive to her sweet force Than yonder upstarts of the neighbouring wood, So much thy juniors, who their birth received Half a millennium since the date of thine."* ^ (2.) A very fine walnut tree. (3.) Another old Spanish chestnut tree, farther south. (4.) Two very large beech trees. A large elm tree in the valley was cut down some years ago, said to have been the thickest of them all. In 1775 Lord Hailes thus wrote to James Boswell, the bio- grapher of Dr Johnson t : — " The gentleman at St Andrews, who said that there were but two trees in Fife, ought to have added, that the elms of Balmerino were sold within these twenty years to make pumps for the fire-engines." This statement shows that the trees of Balmerino were already celebrated for their size before wood was plentiful in Fife. There are still some peculiar plants growing about the Abbey.;}: In the beautiful dell to the east of the Abbey some think there was once a fish-pond — it is certain that about three centuries ago there was a meal- mill there, called the Overmiln ; the Nethermiln being where the present one is. There is at the former spot a well, still called the Monks' Well. Others in the Parish are called the Prior Well, St John's AVell, and the Lady Well — the latter two, however, being not on the Abbey lands, but on Naughton estate, in the field between the House Park and Gauldry, and east of the old road lead- ing from Naughton Lodge to that village. In old documents connected with the Abbey we meet with other ancient names of places there, such as the "Ward and Nutyard," attached to a malt kiln and barn, east of the stream which descends * Cowper. t Croker's Ed. of BoswcU's Life of Johnson, III. 100, (1831). X See Appendix, No. in. 158 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART through the dell ; "the Green of Balmerino," which was WTst of the Abbey, with many fine old plane trees growing about it, the last of which was cut down three years ago ; the " Plum Yard ; " the " Burnt Girnel," &c. Views of Balmerino Abbey occur in Cardonnel's "Pictur- esque Antiquities" (1788), in Grose's "Antiquities of Scot- land" (1789-91), in Swan and Leighton's "Fife Illustrated" (1810), and in FuUarton's "Gazetteer of Scotland," but no one of these gives the most interesting yiew of the ruins.'"* There are wood-cuts of the Abbey Churches of Balmerino and Lin- dores in a curious MS. of Hardyng's Chronicle in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, which are engraved in Gough's "Anecdotes of British Topography," and in the printed Chartularies of these Abbeys, and which we here mention only in order to state that they are wholly inaccurate, if, indeed, they were ever intended for more than conventional figures to indicate merely the existence of such structures. Let the thoughtful reader, who has followed our narrative thus far, now adopt as his own the sentiments of the poet (whose Ecclesiastical Sonnets we have quoted so frequently) in reference to Old Abbeys : — * Grose gives the interior of the Chapter-house; Cardonnel, the exterior of it, from the east. The eastern wall, or gable, was then higher than now. We may here notice a stone now built into the west gable of the farm-steading at Balmerino, but which must have been found about the Abbey. On its upper part there is represented a small cross, with the word DEUS beneath it. Below this is a shield bearing a cheveron ; but the rest of the blazon has been most suc- cessfully (not to say barbarously) effaced by the insertion of a mo- dern date (1849) within the cheveron. On the right side of the shield are the letters, A. I., and on the left, P. O. 11.] HISTORY OF THE ABBEY. 159 Monastic Domes! following mv downward way, Untouched by due regret, I marked your fall ! Now ruin, beauty, ancient stillness, all Dispose to judgments temperate as we lay On our past selves in life's declining day : For as, by discipline of Time made wise, We learn to tolerate the infirmities And faults of others — gently as he may, So with our own the mild Instructor deals, Teaching us to forget them or forgive. Perversely curious, then, for hidden ill, Why should we break Time's charitable seals ? Once ye were holy, ye are holy still ; Tour spirit freely let me drink, and live.* Wordsworth. f art III. HISTORY OF THE PEOTESTANT MINISTERS AND CHURCH. CHAPTER I. MR AECHIBALD KEITH. ME PATRICK AUCHINLECK. ""With what entire affection do they prize Their Cliurch reformed! labouring with earnest care To baffle all that may her strength impair ; That Church, the unperverted Gospel's seat; In their afflictions a divine retreat ; Source of their liveliest hope, and tenderest prayer." "Wordsworth. The Reformation of the Scottish Church may he con- sidered to have been estabhshed in 15 GO, in which year the Estates abolished the jurisdiction of the Pope, prohibited the Mass, and adopted Knox's Confession of Faith, though these measures did not receive the royal sanction till 1567. The year 1560 witnessed also the first meeting of the Gene- ral Assembly, a body destined to play an important jDart in Scottish affairs. The first Assembly consisted of no more than twelve ministers, with whom were joined thirty elders. Other ministers and readers, to the number of forty-three, were immediately appointed, whom a Committee of Parlia- ment, at the request of the Assembly, nominated to the most important charges throughout the country. Five per- sons were also named superintendents. Balmerino was one of the parishes which were so fortunate as to secure the services of a Protestant minister at the first, Mr Archibald Kj:ith having been appointed to it in 15G0. 164 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART In consequence of the scarcity of preachers, two or more parishes were then frequently united in one charge, and this was the case here. Logie-Murdoch, owing to its ancient connection with the Abbey, was for a time united to Balmerino, and iNFr Keith performed the pastoral duties of both parishes.* Mr Keith's duties would at first be very arduous. The people had hitherto been taught that religion consisted mainly in pageants and processions, in giving honour to crucitixes and images, in making pilgrimages to the shrines of saints, in worshipping the Virgin, in paying for masses to deliver their souls from Purgatory, and such like. Before the Eeformation the prayers of the Church were said in an un- known tongue, and what preaching there was, consisted mostly of silly legends about saints, and the extolling of the virtues of indulgences and the powers of the priesthood. Education was not general, and acquaintance with Scripture was confined to the few. Such being the condition of the people, much instruction would be needed to free their minds from superstitious error, and to implant in its stead the genuine truths of the Word of God. The process would be slow and gradual, even though the people eagerly listened, as we know they did, to the preaching of the pure Gospel. The simplicity of the Protestant service, held at first in the Abbey Church, would form a striking contrast to the pomp and ceremonies Avliich the people had been accus- tomed to witness in the old monastic times. The Church readily got the barons to concur with her in the work of reformation so long as her efi'orts were directed agamst Popery ; but when she claimed that the property of the previous establishment should be applied to the sustenta- tion of the ministers, the education of the people, and the * List of the Ministers of the Synod of Fife from 1560 to 1700, ap- pended to " Selections from the Minutes of the Synod of Fife " printed for the Abbotsford Club. III.] PROTESTANT MINISTERS AND CHURCH. 165 maintenance of the poor, she was met by determined opposi- tion, and only the most paltry sums could be obtained for the first of these objects, while the other two were entirely disregarded. A plan having been devised for allowing two- thii-ds of the benefices of the old clergy to be retained by them for life, and for applying the remaining third partly to the replenishing of the royal Exchequer, and partly to the maintenance of the Protestant ministers,* the barons in course of time managed, by various devices, to secure the greater part of the share of the old clerg}' to themselves ; while out of the remaining Thirds, small stipends, ranging from one hundred to three hundred merks, were alloted to the minis- ters.! Mr Keith's stipend must have been very small, as appears from the following entry in the Records of the Gen- eral Assembly, dated the 29th of December 1562: — "Mr Archibald Keith, minister of Logy and Balmerinoch, was decerned be the Kirk to be translated from the foresaid Kirks to sick place as that his stipend should be more abundantly given him, in caise he be not reasonablie satisfied be the Lords appointed to modifie the ministers' stipends, provyding he change not at his own private opinione, but to have therein the judgment and appointment of the Kirk, who shall give their judgment herein, ere this Assembly be dissolved.":}: The result is not recorded, but it is probable that Mr Keith was translated to another parish. A person of the same name was minister of Peterhead in 1571, but we have not the means of knowing whether he was the same individual. § It forms, however, a striking proof of the * In 1567 Parliament granted the whole of the Thirds for the use of the Protestant ministers. t Yet it was said that there were many lords who had not so muh to spend. If this was true, the aristocracy must have been poor in- deed! X Booke of the Universall Kirk of Scotland, p. 12. § Calderwood's History of the Kirk, vol. iii. pp. 132, 527, 529, (Wodrow Soc. Ed.) 166 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART selfish spirit of the lay Eeformers, that in a parish every acre of which was church property the minister was placed on a starvation allowance. It was this spirit which wrung from John Knox the bitter complaint, that " to these dumb dogs and horrid bishops — to one of these idle bellies ten thousand was not enough, but to the servants of Christ, that painfully preach the Gospel, a hundred Avill suffice." 1^[R Patrick Auchinleck or Affleck was the second minister of Balmerino. We do not know when he was ap- pointed, but his name occurs as incumbent in 1571.* At this time Logic was supplied by a Eeader. The salaries of both are thus stated in the " Eegister of Ministers and thair stipends sen the yeir of God 1567" printed for the Mait- land Club from a MS. in the General Register House, Edinburgh : — " Mr P. Auchinleck, minister, 4 score merkis, Lambnes 1571, and 40 merkis mair sen beltymet 1572. Henry Leche, reidare respective 16 li. lambnes 1571." Under the year 1574 the salaries are thus set down in the " Register of Ministers and Readers" printed in the AVodrow Society Miscellany from the " Book of the Assignations of Stipends " preserved in the Advocates' Library : — "Balmerinauch, Logymnrtho. Mr Patrick Auchinlek, minister, £80 Henrie Leiche, reidare at Logymurtho, 19 13 4 " In the '-'Books of Assignation and Modification of Stipends" preserved in the General Register House t they are thus given for the year 1576: — " Balmerinach, Logymurtho — Maister Patrick Affleck, minister, his stipend Ixxx li. to be pait out of the thirds of the Abbay of Balmerynath. Henry * List of the Ministers of the Svnod of Fyfe previously quoted. *h Beltyme, apparently for Beltane, or Mayday, t The Series comprises the years 1576, 1577-80, 1585, 1586, 1588-91, 1593, 1595-97, 1599, 1601, 1607, 1608, 1614, and 1615. III.] PROTESTANT MINISTERS AND CnURCH. 167 Leitch, reidare at Logymurtho. his stipend xviili. with the kirk lands of Logiemnrtho, to be pay it as follows, viz., the third of the vicarage of Logymurtho, v li. vis. viiid. and out of the thirds of Balmerinoth xili. xiiis. iiiid." The value of the minister's stipend would, at present, be about equal to £QQ : that is to say, it would purchase about as much in grain as £66 would now ; for, if converted into a grain stipend, half meal, half barley, according to the rate of prices at that early period, it would amount to about four and a third chalders.* Two-thirds of the revenue of the Abbey was, of course, enjoyed by the Commendator. Such were the hardships to which the clergy were at that time exposed, that they were frequently compelled to resort to secular call- ings to procure a living. A curious illustration of this fact occurs in the Eecords of the General Assembly of 1576, in which the following " deliverance " is given, apparently in answer to a question proposed, whether the keeping of a tavern was an allowable occupation for a minister or reader : — " Ane minister or reader that taps ale, heir, or wyne, and keeps ane open taverne, sould be exortit be the Commis- sioners to keep decorum." f The office of Eeader, which appears to have been in use in the Christian Church as early as the year 200, was re- vived in Scotland at the Eeformation, in consequence of the paucity of regular ministers. The proper duty of this official was to read, in a congregation destitute of a pastor, the Holy * The prices in Fyfe at this period were, communibus annis : — Bear, £21 6 8 the chalder. Oatmeal 16 „ It is scarcely necessary to remind the reader that a chalder is equal to 16 bolls; that the pound Scots (in which the above prices, as well as the stipends, are stated,) Avas equal to 20d. sterling ; and that a merk was 13s. 4d. Scots, or IS^^d. sterling. (See " Miscellany of the Wodrow Society," p. 395). t Booke of the Universall Kirk of Scotland, p. 160. 168 BAL3IERIN0 AND ITS ABBEY. [PART Scriptures and the Book of Common Order, otherwise known as Knox's Liturgy. He was not allowed to adminis- ter the sacraments, but might exhort the people ; and if ap- proved of in that duty, might afterwards be promoted to the ministry. In 1580 the General Assembly held in Dundee declared Eeaders to be no ordinary office-bearers in the Church, after which period they gradually sunk to the in- ferior position of clerks and precentors. The offices of Eeader and Schoolmaster were often united in the same per- son. This was the case in Balmerino, where the School- master continues to be cS'. Bee.) 26th March 1657. " This day the minister informed the Sessione that the Kirk Byble was of the old translation, and desired ane of the new, and the Sessione was content.'' It gives us a vivid sense of the changes produced by time, during the lapse of only two centuries, to find a translation which contains so many words now antiquated, regarded then as a novelty. Yet this was forty-six years after the publication of our present version of the Scriptures.* The Geneva version was that previously used in Scotland. * There would be a strong prejudice at first against the new translation, however much superior to the old, just as there is now a prejudice against another revision, though this is no less necessary in order to keep pace with the progress of Biblical interpretation. " Was there ever anything projected, that savoured any way of III.] PROTESTANT MINISTERS AND CHURCH. 213 23d June 1657. "Hendrie Rollie and Isobell Bruice wer maried, who had with them a fidler. David Donaldson be- came suretie to the minister, under the pain of ten punds, that he should play non hear." 15th August. Mention is made of a man who was upbraided by another as having "fallen in among the Whigs of Kilmany." (K.-S. Rec.) lith July 1658. " The Session ordained [that] euerie per- son who is not to be brought befoir the congregation for ane little fait, sail sit down upon their knes befor the Lord in the face of the Session, and acknowledge their fait." October, 1658. " Given to David Donaldson for ane stool to such as is not brought to the publick place of repentance, but befoir the pulpit, to sit in there for lesser falts, 20 sh." {K.-S. Bee.) About this time help was given out of the Session Box to various persons: — "Toadistrest man from the King's court, 2 lib." " To a man who had been amongst the Turks &c." "To ane poor man spoiled at the sea, having 6 children born at 3 tymes, as his testimonial buir, 24 sh." Charles II. was restored in 1660, and very soon afterwards Episcopacy was re-established in Scotland. Mr Greig is stated in some of the histories of the period to have been one of those ministers who "conformed." It Avould be more correct to say merely, that he was notj"outed," as were those who had been admitted after 1649 (when patronage was abolished, and the election of ministers transferred to the Kirk-Session, Avith power to the people of appealing to the Presbytery), unless they sought a new presentation to their charges from the ancient patrons, and collation from the Bishop. Yet jNIr Greig must have tacitly submitted to Episcopacy. Wodrow says he was one of those "confined" newness or renewing, but the same endured many a storm of gain- saying or opposition ? " — ask the authors of our present version in their Address to the Reader. 214 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART to their parishes in 1663. His name never appears on the business rolls of the diocesan Synod of St Andrews, though he had previously taken a prominent part in the Church courts. Of the Presbytery of Cupar, eleven ministers con- ■^ormed, and eight were expelled from their charges. In the whole Church about three hundred were "outed." These were chiefly the younger ministers, whom the Government was more anxious to concuss into an active compliance with Episcopacy, as the older incumbents were few, and would sooner die out. '' Less compliance (says Wodrow) was to be looked for from them who had been so active in the Cove- nant, and late work of Reformation." The leading features of the system now introduced may be briefly sketched. Presbyteries still met, but only under the Bishop's warrant ; and were presided over by a permanent Moderator appointed by him. They were called "meetings" of the clergy ; the word " Presbytery " being offensive to royal ears. Elders were excluded from these "meetings." Synods were regularly held, under the presidency of the Archbishop, the archdeacon, or some one nominated by the Ordinary. Kirk-Sessions met, and did their work as before; and offenders appeared before the congregation, just as in Presbyterian times, clothed in sackcloth. The General ■ Assembly, a body which the Stuarts never loved, did not meet, and in this lay the chief change. The voice of the whole Church could not be expressed, and free discussion was stifled. Ministers were ordained by the Bishop in his Cathedral, instead of by the Presbytery in the Parish churches to which they were appointed. As to the form of worship, no liturgy was enjoined — the fate of Laud's Liturgy no doubt acting as a warning to the ruling powers — and the prayers were extemporaneous.* The Lord's Supper was * Some of the clergy, however, where their congregations inclined to Episcopacy, used the English Liturgy, or some other form Ill] PROTESTANT MINISTERS AND CHURCH. 215 taken by the members of tlie congregation sitting round a table, as at present. Two things were insisted on, and we may think it strange that they should ever have been objected to — the use of the Lord's Prayer in the service, and of the Doxology at the close of it. This last was sung standing. In time of prayer, either standing or kneehng was allowed. JS'o anniversary was enjoined to be observed, except that of the Restoration. There are few materials for our history during this period. 2Wi May 1661. " This day thair was thanks given for the restoratione of the King's majestic to his throne and crown, accordhig to the appointment of the Presbyterie, being inti- mate to the people upon last Sabbath." \Wi Odoher 1661. "This day preaching was appointed to be weiklie on the Wednesday after the harvest at 12 houres."* \Wi July 1665. "Twise preaching and thanksgiving or the victorie of his Majesties navies." 1th March 1668. "This day the minister desired all in the paroche who had children, to put them to the school, if they were capable of learning, and so to keip thaim at it summer and winter, quhill they could read and know the grounds of religion, and all quha were not abill to pay for ther learning should be paid duely to the Schoolmaster from the box. {K.-S. Rec.) 1670. " It was represented to the Lord Archbishop and Synod, that the Laird of JSTachtane had, some years agoe, given bond to the minister of Balmerino for a chalder of victual zearlie, and now one of his sons has given up the bond, and keeps it, [that is, has given up paying, and keeps the chalder to himself ?]. The Lord Archbishop and Synod * From 27th Nov. 1661 to 13th Feb. 1664 there is a blank in the Session Minutes, Mr. Greig having, it is stated, lost them. 216 BALMERIXO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART appoint William Person to speak to the Laird of Nachtane anent this matter, and to make his report to the nixt Synod." At next meeting of Synod "the Lord Archbishop and Synod find that the Laird of Nachton is abundantly vindi- cated of that chalder of victual of the minister's stipend of Ealmerino, whereof something was spoken in the last Synod." (Syn. Bee.) " The Lord Archbishop " (Sharp) had probably no great love for Mr Greig. 21 st May 1671. " This day my Lord Ealmerino sat in the Kirk as a member thereof, wherefor the minister gave his lordship thanks." (K.-S. Rec.) Lord Ealmerino was, per- haps, not usually resident in the Parish at this time. The notice probably refers to the ancient practice, on the part of the officiating minister, of saluting, or bowing to the patron of the Church at the conclusion of the service ; which was perhaps accompanied on this occasion with a few words of respect. Previous to this period field-preachings had become com- mon in many parts of the country. These were kept up by the ejected ministers, whose exhortations were highly prized by the multitudes who came, often from great distances, to hear them. Eut in Pife " conventicles " were not held for several years after the Restoration. Willam Row, writing of the year 1665, after mentioning a number of old ministers in Fife who had not been " outed," of whom Mr Walter Greig was the only one in Cupar Presbytery, says, — " as yet there were no field-meetings in Fife for preaching, neither were they needed." Eut under 1668 he states that " in that spring and summer time there were several meetings in houses in Fife, but they were neither frequent nor numerous, there being yet unconform ministers permitted to continue in their charges, to whom almost all the Presbyterians re- sorted in the Presbyteries of St Andrews, Cupar, and Kirk- aldy."* It may therefore be presumed that during the latter * William Kow's Supplement to the Life of Robert Blair, pp. 483, 521 (Wodrow Society Ed.). IIT.] PROTESTANT MINISTERS AND CHURCH. 217 years of Mr Greig's ministry his preaching would be attend- ed by great numbers from a distance, and accompanied with much religious excitement. No doubt the old Church of Balmerino presented at this time some remarkable scenes, and if minister and people were often compelled by want of room to adjourn to the open air, a sight more picturesque, or more interesting every way — considering the circumstances of the country — could scarcely be witnessed, than that of the aged Pastor holding forth the Word of Life to the vast multitude clustering round the churchyard knoll, and re- garding him with veneration, as being, in this district, the last representative of the heroic days of the Covenant. Eut Mr Greig was now drawing near to his end. The Session Eecords contain the following interesting notices of his last days : — 1th April 1670. "The minister left his lectoring because of his weakness, qlk. he did signifie to the Paroche, as might appear in his face." Sabbath, Uth September 1671. " Our minister, Mr Walter Greig, not able to goe to the Church by reason of his weak- nes and sicknes, qlk. was the last Sabbath that he left preach- ing in the Kirk befoir his death, and went noe mor to pub- lique ordinances." Then comes the closing scene : — ^Xst January 1672. " This day it pleased the Lord to re- move Mr Walter Greig, minister of the gospell att Balmerino, from the miseries of this lyfe to his eternall rest; and also it pleased the Lord to remove his wife, Mary Hay, ane day and night befor himself, being January 30, 1672, to hir eternall rest." 2nd February. " This day Mr Walter Greig, minister of the Gospel, foresaid, and his wife, Mary Hay, being both re- moved by death, were both buried, and laid together in on grave, and so lived togither and died togither." \Wi February. Thomas Stark, of the parish of South Leith, eldest surviving son of the Laird of Ballindean, and 218 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART Margaret Greig were proclaimed in 'Creich church (there being probably no service in Balmerino), and were married in due course. Jean, another daughter of Mr Greig, had been married to Mr Wilson, minister of Cameron, in 1657. Mr Greig had a family of at least seven children. 17 th April. " Mr James Greig distributed to the poor 20 lib. Scots, left by his father." Mr Greig's sole incumbency extended to about forty years, and he discharged the duties of the pastoral office in the Parish for nearly fifty years. During a period of about ninety-two years there would thus be only one instance of the ordination of a minister for the Parish. Mr Greig wit- nessed many changes, and though, after adopting the prin- ciples of th.e Covenant, he tacitly acquiesced in Episcopacy, it must be remembered that he was then of advanced age. Besides, his acquiescence in Episcopacy appears not to have diminished the respect in which he was held by his party ; while the people adhered to their Parish Church to the end of his incumbency. There was soon a change in this respect. CHAPTER IV. MR AXDREW BRUCE. ME JAMES GAIRXS. MR GEORGE HAY. MR JOHX AUCHTERLO^'T. "With such excess of love — we'll blame it not— Does Scotland love her Church. Be it so still ; And be its emblem still the Burning Bush ! Bush of the Wilderness 1 See how the flames Bicker and bum around it." Aibd. Mr TTalter Greig was succeeded by Mr Andrew Bruce, III.] PROTESTANT MINISTERS AND CHURCH. 219 chaplain to Archbishop Sharp. He " preached his first time in Balmerino Kirk for tryall " on the 19th of January 1673, and was *' placed as minister by these of the Presby- tery, Mr Alexander Balfour at Ebdie " and six others, on the 1st of May following. {K.-S. Rec.) He must have pre- viously received ordination from the Archbishop. Wodrow gives a very unfavourable account of his character. As there are no minutes of the Kirk-Session (there having been no meetings of that body,) from the commencement of Mr Bruce's incumbency till the Revolution, and no minutes of the Presbytery from the Eestoration to the Revolution preserved, we know little more of the Episcopal ministers, or " curates " (as the people called them exclusively) of this Parish, than their names. The following baptisms registered in the Session Books prove that Mr Bruce, soon after his induction, introduced an alteration in the Church service, w^hich some of the people stoutly resisted. The matter referred to appears to have been the Apostles' Creed, which the parent was required to repeat in the Baptismal service. \Wi July 1673. « Andro Balfour and Christin Balfour of Graing had a child baptized, called Petir, but said no Creed." About the same time John Bruceson and David Paton had each a child baptized, "but said no Creed." Martin Kido had a child baptized, "and did say the Creed." Ecclesiastical division soon followed Mr Bruce's settlement. About 1674 there is mention in Wodrow of a "private con- venticle " being held by certain ministers in Balmerino. It would appear, too, that some of them had got admission into the Parish Church. In 167.') letters of intercommuning were issued against certain persons of other parishes who had "invited and countenanced outed ministers in their invasion and intrusion upon the Kirks and pulpits of Forgan, Bal- merinoch, Moonzie, &c.," and who had heard them preach and pray therein, and had harboured Mr John Welsh ; and 220 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART the persons accused of these offences were denounced as traitors, the heges being at the same time forbidden to fur- nish them with food or lodging, or to have any dealings with them,* Mr Bruce's incumbency was very brief. He was succeeded in 1676 by Mr James Gairns, or Garden, who was of the family of Garden of Leys.f In 1678 certain persons were charged before the Secret Council with having been present at field preachings at (amongst other places) Balmerino, and having there heard Mr Welsh, and other ministers. Having " compeared," they refused to state on oath whom they saw at those meetings, or what they knew about them. They were sentenced to be banished to the plantations. Fines for non -conformity were laid on Balmerino Parish about the years 1679-1685, to the extent of £700. X Tradition points out a lonely spot on Newton Hill where the Covenanters were wont to meet, and it is probably to meetings which took place there that the above notice jefers. The spot is on the north face of the hill, at the base of a lofty wall of perpendicular rock. It consists of a deep, grass-covered hollow of an oblong shape, and sloping downwards to the east. Having had some expe- rience in "field" preaching under different circumstances, we should pronounce this spot to be admirably adapted for the purpose. On the north side it is surrounded by a mound, having a break for the entrance at the east end, and indi- cating its probable use as a sheep-pen. The hollow is so * Wodrow's History of the Church of Scotland 11, pp. 244, 287. (Ed. of 1829.) This Mr John Welsh was a grandson of the famous Reformer of that name. + Xisbet's Heraldry; which'glves Mr Garden's arms thus : — Argent, a boar's head erased, sahle, betwixt three cross crosslets fitched gules, all within a bordure counter-componed of the second and first. Crest, a rose slipped, proper ; Motto, '* Sustine abstine." t Wodrow, III., 480 ; I., XLIX. III.] PROTESTANT MINISTERS AND CHURCH. 221 deep that a congregation might be seated on the grassy slope without being observed from the low ground, while the ap- proach of any intruders would have been at once detected by the watchmen, who, according to tradition, were posted on the height above. There is to the south-east of this a beauti- ful and complete amphitheatre, which, but for its marshy bottom, would suit equally well, or better, for the purpose referred to. " In solitudes like these Thy persecuted children, Scotia, foiled A tyrant's and a bigot's bloody laws ; There, leaning on his spear, .... The lyart veteran heard the word of God By Cameron thundered, or by Renwick poured In gentle stream; then rose the song, the loud Acclaim of praise ; the wheeling plover ceased Her plaint ; the solitary place was glad. And on the distant cairns, the watcher's ear Caught doubtfully at times the breeze-born note."* To this period probably belongs the case of William Murdoch, blacksmith in Gauldry, who suffered imprison- ment for his Presbyterian principles. When the officers of the law came to his house to apprehend him, he requested permission, before accompanying them to the prison of Cupar, to retire for prayer into his smithy, and the request was granted. While there, he took the opportunity of conceal- ing a file in the sleeve of his coat ; and, with the help of this instrument, he managed to file through the iron bars of the prison window, and thus procured his escape, as well as that of his fellow-prisoners. Having fled to the Carse of Gowrie, from which district his father had first come to settle in Gauldry, he hid himself in a wood, 'where he met a minis- ter who was in hiding for a similar cause, and who knew his * Grahame's " Sabbath." It is worthy of note that an author who could express these sentiments in reference to the persecutions of the Covenanters was himself a clergyman of the Church of England. 222 BALMERIXO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART name as that of one who, he had heard, was under the ban of the government. Murdoch went to procure refreshment from a house near by, which he found to be occupied by a female relation of his own, whose husband, however, was active on the side of the persecutors ; and, though the assist- ance he wanted was cheerfully given, he was required to re- turn immediately to his hiding-place. What afterwards befell him is unknown. But we shall meet with his name again after the Revolution. It is a somewhat remarkable circumstance that this per- son's descendants have continued to follow the trade of blacksmith at the same place, in the village of Gauldry, ever since, or for about the space of two hundred years, and in lineal succession from father to son without interruption till the present time, when the craft is still carried on by the seventh and eighth generations of the family, with every prospect of its continuance. * On the 16th of September 1678, Mr Garden was translated to the church of Carnbee, and was succeeded in Balmerino, in the same year, by ]Mr George Hat, who was in all proba- bility a member of the Naughton family of that name. It is not known how long his incumbency lasted. On the 3d of May 1679, Archbishop Sharp, who was com- monly beheved to have betrayed the Presbyterian cause in order to procure his own aggrandisement, was murdered on Magus Muir, and a parishioner of Balmerino has had his name handed down to posterity in connection with that atrocious and cowardly deed. This was Andrew Guillan, weaver at Byres of Balmerino. Wodrow says that he " was only called by the actors to look to their horses, or some such thing, but was not active, though present at the action," and that he " did not touch the bishop, but endeavoured to * We have not met with any notice of this case in Wodrow, unless a person named Murdoch, vol. IQ. 15, be the same individual. III.] PROTESTANT MINISTERS AND CHURCH. 223 secure his daughter from hurt and danger, when she would interpose between the actors and him." In 1683 Guillan was taken and executed. We shall give the account in Wodrow's own words : — "Andrew Guillan was the only person I can hear of who suffered precisely upon [for] the archbishop's death. Hackston of Rathillet, as we have heard, was taken actually resisting at Ayrsmoss, but neither he nor this man were active in the bishop's murder. Andrew Guillan was a ■weaver, who lived [at that time] near Magus Muir, and all his share in the action was, that being called out of his house, he held their horses, and Avas witness to what was done. After this, he was obliged to abscond, and served the best way he might in country houses, at some distance from the place where he had lived formerly. I have some letters under his hand, writ by him after he was taken, August this year [1683], whereby he appears to be a country man of some knowledge and seriousness. In one of them he gives account to his friend that he was taken upon the 11th of June, when at his work with a country- man. The curate of the parish came by, and asked him where he was upon the Lord's day, and if he kept the church. Andrew told him he did not own him, and would give him no account of himself; whereupon the curate called for some people thereabout, and seized him, and car- ried him to Cockpen, where he was pressed to drink the King's health, which he refusing, saying he drank no healths, he was carried to Dalkeith, and there put in prison, and from thence taken into Edinburgh, where, after exami- nation, he was put into the iron-house. All this time nothing was known as to his being present at the bishop's death. While he was at Edinburgh, some rumour of his being there broke out, but they had not the least probation, till, as I am informed, the advocate trepanned him into a confession. At one of his examinations he was most pathe- 224 BALMERIXO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART tically aggravating the crime as a horrid murder, and, direct- ing himself to Andrew, he represented, among other things, that when the bishop was upon his knees praying, they should have killed him. This, it seems, touched the simple countryman so, that he got up his hands, and cried out, ' ! dreadful ! he would not pray one word for all that could be said to him.' Upon this, and what further they elicit from him, I find him staged before the justiciary. " July \Wi. — Andrew Guillan, weaver in Balmerinoch, indicted, that with others, May 3d, 1679, 'he stopped the bishop's coach, and shot at him, or that he was present when it was done, and was in arms, and fled with the rest, and that night gave thanks to God for that execrable mur- der.' For probation the advocate adduceth his own con- fession. "Edinburgh, July 10th, 'Andrew Guillan confesseth judicially, that morning when the company came to the Muir, Eathillet came and took him out ; declares he was present in the company, concurring with the rest when the archbishop was killed ; that he had a sword, that he was with them in the evening when one prayed, he thinks it was James Eussel, and blessed God for their success ; de- clares he cannot write.' By his letters under his hand I am sure he could write, and in them I find he dechnes to own the authority of the chancellor, and his judges, and I imagine this confession of his is gathered up out of what they got him to say before them, which I do not think he would sign. However, thus it stands in the records. The assize bring him in guilty of the bishop's death by his own confession, and he is sentenced to be taken to the cross of Edinburgh upon Friday July 20th, and to have both his hands cut off at the foot of the gallows, and then hanged, his head to be cut off, and fixed at Cupar, and his body to be carried to Magus-muir, and hung up in chains. His last speech is published more than once, and therein ' he denies he dies as III.] PROTESTANT MINISTERS AND CHURCH. 225 a murderer, thougli it be laid to his cliarge that he joined with those who executed justice upon a Judas, who sold the Kirk of Scotland for fifty thousand merks a-year, and vindi- cates their deed.' It was noticed that he endured the torture he was put to with a great deal of courage. In cutting off his hands, the hangman, being drunk, or affecting to appear so, mangled him fearfully, and gave nine strokes before he got them off. He endured all with invincible patience, and, it is said, when his right hand was cut off, he held up the stump in the view of the spectators, crying as one perfectly easy, ' My blessed Lord sealed my salvation with His blood, and I am honoured this day to seal His truths with my blood.' After his body had hung in chains for some time, some people came and took it down, for which the country about was brought to no small trouble. I find, May 27th, 1684, 'The council grant a commission to the Earl of Bal- carras to pass a sentence of banishment on the persons who took down Andrew Guillan's body from Magus-muir, as being owners of the horrid murder of the Archbishop of St. Andrews.'"* A stone was afterwards erected to Guillan's memory on Magus-muir, where it may still be seen in what is now- called the Bishop's Wood. This stone, however, does not mark the precise scene of Sharp's murder, which is indicated by another, about a stone's throw to the west of Guillan's monument, erected to the memory of five of the Covenanters who were taken at Bothwell Bridge, and executed on the site of the murder. The inscription on Andrew Guillan's stone is as follows : — " A faithful martyr here doth lye> A witness against perjury, Who cruelly was put to death To gratify proud prelate's wrath. * Wodrow's " History of the Sufferings of the Church of Scotland from the Restoration to the Revolution," III., 44, 45, 47, 49, 462, 463. P 226 BALMERI^'0 AND ITS ABBEY. [PART Thev cut his hands ei'e he was dead, And after that struck off his head. To Magus Muir then did him bring, His body on a pole did hing. His blood under the altar cries For vengeance on Christ's enemies." * Sharp's murder will find no defenders at the present day, private assassination being now regarded with just horror by all parties. But if we would correctly estimate the character of this deed, we must bear in mind that it was then considered meritorious thus to rid the world of the enemies of religion. ^Men who could thank God when such an act was perpetrated, certainly did not consider them- selves murderers. The truth is, the Presbyterians were driven to the extremity of fanaticism by the cruel and law- less persecution of a tyrannical government. There is a tradition that the Boyters of this Parish first came to it during these persecutions (having been driven from Argyleshire by this cause), and, having been found singing psalms in Corbieden by the Laird of Birkhill, were by him treated with kindness. This tradition is incorrect as to the persons at least, individuals of the name of Boyter having been in the Parish long before the period referred to. There was a monk of Balmerino of that name. Others held lands from the Abbey. Mr JoHX AucHTERLONT succccdcd Mr Hay as minister of Balmerino, but the time of his settlement is not recorded. On the 24th of August 1682 "a contract of excambionwas entered into between the Lord and the Master of Balmerino on the one part, and Mr Peter Hay of Naughton and the other heritors, ministers, and elders of the Kirk-Session of * Lyon's History of St. Andrews, II., 94, 95. Swan and Leighton's "Fife Illustrated," III., 44. Presbyterian writers have not always been inclined to mention that at the Reformation the penalty of death was, in the last instance, prescribed against the celebration of the Mass. Toleration was then considered an irreligious principle. III.] PROTESTANT MINISTERS AND CHURCH. 227 Balmerino on the other part, whereby the heritors disponed the Manse and Glebe of Balmerino [which up to that time had been somewhere near the Abbey] to the Lord and the Master of Balmerino ; and, in excambion thereof, they dis- poned to the minister their House of Bottomcraig, with yards, orchards, &c., and six acres of land adjacent thereto."* (For an account of this house see Part TV., Chapter III.) We now come to the Eevolution of 1688. This event put an end to the persecution of the Presbyterians, wliicli had continued with more or less severity since the Pestora- tion — a period of twenty-eight years, characterized in Scot- land as the "killing times." Presbytery, to which the people in this, as in, at least, all the midland and southern districts of the country, were still firmly attached, was now again established. The Episcopal clergy were at this crisis treated with great harshness. " In some cases, they saved themselves from insult by timely flight. In other cases, they were laid hold of by the rabble, carried about in mock procession, had their gowns torn over their heads, their Prayer-books burnt before their eyes, and then were told to be off, and never to show themselves in the parish again. When done with the minister, the mob frequently entered the Manse, tumbled the furniture out at the windows, marched the inmates to the door, took possession of the keys ; and on the next Sunday a preacher, who had till lately been skulking among the hiUs, was found in the pulpit thundering against persecuting prelatists. Upwards of two hundred clergymen were thus rabbled out of their manses, their parishes, and their livings."t Great as were the hardships thus inflicted, they were but slight evils com- pared with the sufferings to which Presbyterians, both ministers and people, had been previously subjected ; and * Balmerino "Writs. t Cunningham's Church History of Scotland, vol. II. p. 261. 228 BALMERIXO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART now that the latter had the power in their own hands, it must be allowed that, on the whole, they exercised it with comparative moderation. There were no lives taken in the *' Eabbling of the Curates," as this event in Scottish history is called. Mr Auchterlony was " outed " in 1689 ; but whether he was allowed to depart in peace, or other^vise, we know not. It would appear, however, that he afterwards conformed to Presbytery, since he became minister of Fordouu, in the Mearns.* CHAPTER y. MR ANDREW BOWIE. MR JAMES HAY. " Then dawned the period destined to confine The surge of wild prerogative, to raibc A mound restraining its imperious rage, And bid the raving deep no further flow." Thomson. Mr Andrew Bowie was the first minister of Balmerino after the Revolution. He was admitted on the 24th of Sep- tember, 1690, by the Presbytery of St Andrews and Cupar, the two Presbyteries having been again united from 1690 to 1693. He was called by the people, and they "longed for his admission," The Scottish Convention, which met in March 1689, had declared for the restoration of Presbytery, and this had been followed by the meeting of the Estates in June, which * List of Ministers of the Synod of Fife, previously quoted. 111.] PROTESTANT MINISTERS AND CHURCH. 229 abolished Episcopacy. But the Presb3'tcrian government of the Church was not formally established by the Scottish Parliament till April 1690, though Kirk- Sessions, Presby- teries, and Synods had previously been meeting, by the King's authority. Field-jDreaching was kept up at Xewton till the end of October, 1690, at least. The Kirk-Session Records, which here commence again after a blank of sixteen years, con- tain the names of twelve persons '' who had children baptized at Newton, and are indwelling in Balmerino parish, since the 30th day of November 1688 years," and onwards to 1690. One of these was Balfour of Grange : another was Murdoch in Gallerie, no doubt the hero of the file.* On the margin opposite these names there is written — " Children baptized at Newton, whose names are to be found in ther Session book, written by Master Laurence Skier." From this it appears probable that there was a Kirk-Session, with its records and clerk, in connection with the non-conforming congregation. As the Christian names of those children are, with one exception, not given in the Balmerino Records, they must have been inserted rather as a memorial of the times of persecution than for the proper purposes of registration. There is no mention of the name of the minister, or ministers, who baptized them at Newton. Perhaps it was Mr Bowie, before his induction into Balmerino ; at least the Session books of Balmerino contain, under date, 21st March 1690, the names of a couple who, " being 3 several Sabbaths proclaimed at Newton by Mr John AVylie, Schoolmaster of Balmerino [who had held office ever since Mr Greig's time], were married by Mr Bowie in the church of Balmerino." This was five months before Mr Bowie's formal admission by the Presbytery to * William Murdoch married Christian Kirkaldy in May 1668. His father, David Murdoch, was married in Balmerino parish in 16;3-i, and was in 1668 an elder. Several of his descendants also held that offi-'^- "• 230 BALMERINO AXD ITS ABBEY. [pART Balmerino Church. The Eecords contain the names of several other persons who were proclaimed at Newton in April, and onwards to October 1690 ; and also those of several children "■ baptized at the Kirk of Balmerino before Mr Bowie, ex- pected minister, was admitted." It would thus appear that preaching was kept up at Newton not only for six months after the re-establishment of Presbytery by Parliament — there being service at Balmerino at the same time — but for a few Sundays, at least, after Mr Bowie's induction into Bal- merino. The promoters were, in all probability, those who were dissatisfied with the terms in which Presbytery was then established. There is no record of any doings at Newton after October 1690 ; and, doubtless, the whole of the people soon returned to their Parish Church, thankful for the peace and protection they at length enjoyed, even though the Revolu- tion Settlement did come short of the high claims of the Covenanters, to which, indeed, few would now entirely assent. On the second Sabbath after Mr Bowie's admission, a " fast and thanksgiving was observed in Balmerino, on ac- count of the King's success against the enemies of the Pro- testant religion, and for his safe return from Ireland to England." On the next Sabbath another fast was kept, for asking God's blessing on the General Assembly, which was to meet on the 16th of October. This was the first As- sembly which had met for forty years. On that deeply interesting occasion it is curious to observe that Gabriel Cunningham, the Moderator of last Assembly, occupied the chair till a successor was chosen. In the same year nine new elders were ordained in Bal- merino, in addition to six already existing. In 1691 "the Session ordained these of the elders who collect at the Kirk-door any time hereafter to goe and visit the aill-houses, that none be drinking in time of divine worship upon the Lord's day, or staying from the church needlesslie." {K.-S. Bee.) In the same year a "proclamation was read from the j^ulpit III.] PROTESTANT MINISTERS AND CHURCH. 231 for a fast to be keipit monthly for four months, on the last Wednesday of ilk month, to implore the blessing of the Lord upon the King and Counsel, and their undertakings in defence of the true reformed religion, and of these lands." {K.-S. Bee.) 26tJi July 1691. "This day, given for the commissioners that went to fflanders to the King, out of the Kirk-box, 8 lib. 10s. ; and by the minister, Mr Bowie, to them out of his own purse, 3 lib. 10s." (K.-S. Rec.) These sums were together equal to <£1 sterling. M April 1692. "The minister enquired of the elders what diligence they had used in visiting the broster-houses on the Lord's day in time of sermon, and, according to the Act of our Kirk Session, desired these elders who collected every Lord's day at the Kirk-door to be carefull in search- ing every broster-house, that there be no drinkers in time of worship ; as also the minister did signify to the Session that according to former Acts of Parliament, the Synod doth discharge, and ordineth every Kirk-Session to discharge all kynde of promiscuous dancing [i. e. by the two sexes together] at weddings, and forbid pipers to play to such dancing." (A'.-aS'. Rec.) On the 1st of August 1692, Mr Bowie was translated to Ceres as assistant and successor to Mr Eow,* whose daugh- ter Agnes he had married six months before; and in 1697 he was removed to the parish of ^orth Leith. The vacancy in Balmerino was not filled up till 1696. About this time there was a great scarcity of preachers, *This was Wilham Row, son of John Eow of Carnock, the historian of the Church. William Row married a daughter of Rohert Blair, minister of St Andrews, to whose Autobiography he wrote a continuation. He himself had been minister of Ceres for seventeen years before the Restoration, was ejected in 1665, and, after the Revolution, was restored, in his old age, to his parish. (Row's History, Wodrow Society Ed.— Preface, p. Ivi.) 232 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART and in 1693 there were eight parishes in tlie Presh3'tery of Cupar vacant at the same time. Young men on trial for licence Avere ordered to supply vacant churches even before their trials were completed. Preachers who supplied vacant charges received an allowance out of the stipend. The parish of Balmerino made several attempts to secure a minister, and only succeeded after three successive failures. In 1693 Mr David Seaton received a call. Objections to his settlement were brought forward by the Laird of Ballin- dean and several elders, which objections were declared by the Presbytery to be irrelevant. But on account oiafarna against Mr Seaton, his settlement was not proceeded with. He re- ceived part of the vacant stipend for his services in preaching. In 1695 the Parish petitioned the Presbytery "to moder- ate in a caU" to Mr John Henxkiigon, who had preached his first sermon, after KTs being licenced, in Balmerino. Similar petitions in his favour Avere sent in by the parishes of IN'ew- burgh and Flisk. He was called to Balmerino in March, and the call was sustained ; but the Moderator of the Pres- bytery reported that jSIr Henderson "left the call of Bal- merino at his lodging, upon a letter sent from his father dis- chairging him from midling with the said call directly or indirectly, and would by no means take the call again, not- withstanding of all the arguments and reasons which he made use of to prevail upon the said Mr Henderson." Whereupon the Presbytery required him to submit to their commands, according to his engagement when he received license.' Eventually Mr Henderson came to the Presbytery, from which, though in Cupar, he had absented himself, and apologized for having left them so abruptly ; and the Pres- bytery " resolved to urge him no farther to settle in their bounds." (Presb. Rec.) In connection with this matter the Session Eecords have the following : — " The expenses in prosecuitting ane call that was given to ]\Ir Henderson at Dunfermliiig and Cowper, £19 1-is." III.] PROTESTANT MINISTERS AND CHURCH. 233 At a later period of the same year the Parish petitioned for Mr David Pitcairii ; but tlie people of Criech having also petitioned for him, he was settled there, and Balmerino still remained vacant. During this long vacancy there are many entries in the Session Records referring to supply for the pulpit, such as : — "To ane horse haire [hire] for Mr Hetten quhen hee preached, 12s. — For ane horse to Mr Hetton several tymes, £1 14s. — To the bedle for goeing to Dundie for a minister, Is. — To the bedle to goe to Edinburgh for a minister, £1 10s." At length the Parish obtained a minister in Mr James Hay, whose father, Thomas Hay, was a brother of the Laird of IS'aughton, and had been " a gentleman in the King's Scots Guards, when the same was upon the English estab- lishment."* Mr Hay was licensed to preach on the last day of the year 1695, and was at the same time appointed to supply Balmerino Church. Three weeks afterwards, the people petitioned the Presbytery to moderate in a call to him, and on the 7th of May, 1696, he was ordained minister of Balmerino. Besides the usual form of induction, and the w^elcome which it is still customary for the people to give to their new minister by " taking him by the hand," at the door of the church, as they pass out at the conclusion of the Ordination service, Mr Hay " had also institution given him by the Moderator in the delivery of the Bible, keys, and bell-tow, as ane evidence of his security in the stipend." {Presb. Rec.) It may be here noticed that in 1690 patronage had been abolished, and the election of a minister to a vacant charge vested in the heritors and elders. If the congregation were dissatisfied with the person thus chosen, they were to state their reasons to the Presbytery, whose decision was final. About this time the Communion was not observed here at * Commissary Records. (General Register House.) 234 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART any fixed period of tlie year, and sometimes a year and a half, or two years, elapsed between one Communion and the next. Collections were made for a great variety of objects, such as — " For distressed Protestants in Lisbon and Ireland " — " For the distressed Presbyterian paroche of Kew York in America" — "For a poor man taken by the Turks" — "For the brige at Lenrike " — "For the living slaves in Algiers." Sums were granted by the Session — "To a scholar at St Andrew's college" — " To the precentor at the tent " [at the Communion services] — "To the Presbytery Bursar" — "To a blind student recommended by the Synod " — " To the Pres- bytery bursar that hath the Irish [Gaelic] Language " — " To Daniel Guines for setting up a printing house at Dundie, £3" — " To Alexander Finlay for ale to David Ritchie's burial, 31s." — " To Alexander Gregory for pipes and tobacco to the said burial, 15s. 6d." (Scots money.) In 1694- a valuation of the Parish was made, from which we learn the names of the farmers, and the amount of their rents, at that period. (See Appendix, No. XYI.) In 1697 Mr Hay was chosen Presbytery Clerk for six months, it being then again the practice to have this duty performed by the members in rotation. At this time there was a great scarcity of ministers in the districts north of the Tay, owing to the expulsion of the Episcopal clergy from their livings by the General Assembly, which repeatedly sent ministers from the south to furnish a temporary supply of ordinances till the vacant churches should be filled up. A certain proportion of those sent being liable to be translated thither, if called by any of the desti- tute congregations, there appeared on the part of those nominated to go a considerable aversion to the duty. Mr Hay was one of three ministers of the Synod of Fife appoint- ed in 1697 to proceed to Ross, Sutherland, and Caithness for three months; but on the 22d of February 1698 he pro- duced reasons to the Presbytery for his not having gone, which III.] PROTESTANT MINISTERS AND CHURCH. 235 were sustained. His reasons are not recorded, but three days thereafter he married Christian Stark, daughter of the Laird of BalUndean. In the end of that year he was appointed to proceed on a similar mission to the Presbyteries of Perth, Auchterarder, and Dunkeld ; and this duty he performed. In 1 707 there was another Presbyterial visitation of Bal- merino. Mr Hay preached from his '' ordinary." The form of procedure otherwise was similar to that in 1647, which has been already described. All the parties concerned com- mended each other. These visitations having degenerated into a mere form, their ordinary use was eventually discon- tinued. In the seventeenth century George Hay of Xaughton and his wife, MaryPuthven, had presented two silver Communion cups to Balmerino Church; and their grandson, John Hay of Naughton, who died in 1709, left a legacy of ^200 Scots for the purchase of an additional pair. After some delay, of which his widow complained to the Presbytery, two new cups were purchased by Robert Hay, his brother and successor in the property ; and also another new cup, to replace one of the old pair, which had been broken. The three, with a box to hold them all, cost £200 4s. ; but deducting the value of the broken cup, ,£42 18s., the sum actually paid out was £157 6s. Robert Hay, who was an elder of the Church, was desired to expend the balance, £42 14s., for the benefit of the poor in his own barony. The cups were ordered to be kept in custody by the Laird of Ballindean, also an elder, and to be let out for hire to the neighbouring churches. They were frequently so let at Communion seasons — one pair to Logie for 12s., and both pairs to Kilmany for 24s. or 30s., till as late as 1786 at least. Before the new pair was got, the Communion cups of Flisk were several times bor- rowed for Balmerino Church, and £1 paid for the use of them each time. The cups presented by the Hays are those still iu use. 236 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART The oldest one has engraven on it the initials of the donors' names, G. H. and M. E., ronnd a shield, on which the arms of the Hays are impaled with those of the Ruthvens ; and inside its base is the word " Berachaiah." The corresponding one has the same initials, but the arms of the Hays only. The newer pair have the arms of the Hays, and the initials I. H. ; and the Goldsmiths' marks on them are those of the year 1715-16. The marks on the oldest cup show that it was made before 1682. The first pair was probably given either when Naughton was annexed to Balmerino parish (1650), or at George Hay's death. About this time the discipline of the Church was exercised ■with a severity more calculated to harden than to improve the ofTender. In one case of an aggravated kind, the man was made to stand at the Church door, clothed in sackcloth, twelve, and the woman eight different Sabbaths — one of the parties generally in the forenoon, and the other in the after- noon.* An estimate of the degree to which education then pre- vailed amongst the people ma}^ be formed from the fact, that between 1716 and 1748, of men who were called on to sign their names in presence of the Session, one in every three could not do so; while of women, eleven out of every twelve were unable to write. t Of the rebellion of 1715 there is no notice in the Session Records farther than that 12s. were given from the "Box" to a poor soldier. But from other sources we learn that the * The Assembly of 1570 ordered those guilty of aggravated offen- ces not only to stand at the Church door in sackcloth, but bare- headed and barefooted. t According to the Registrar-General's Return for 1862, of those who were married in Scotland, 1 male, and 2 females out of every 10 could not sign their names ; and these were mostly Irish. Thus the art of writing is about four times more common now all over the countrv, than it was here from 1716 to 17i8. III.] PROTESTANT MINISTERS AND CHURCn. 237 rebels placed garrisons in ^aughton, St Fort, and Balvaird, who levied cess on all persons disaffected to them, and drove away all the sheep, oxen, and horses they could lay their hands on. At Ballinbreich the wheat seed could not be sown on account of their spoliation. The ministers were forced to fly, and the Presbytery Records state, that from October 1715 to February 1716 there was no meeting of that body, on account of " the unnatural rebellion raised by the Jacobite party under the Earl of Mar, who had taken pos- session of the towns of the shire, and had emitted a paper called by them a proclamation, threatening ministers who should acknowledge King George in their publick prayers with being carried to the Pretender s camp at Perth." Eob Eoy, with 150 men, took possession of Falkland Palace, and plundered the whole country around. But on learning that the royal army was approaching Perth, he and all the rebel garrisons in Fife suddenly marched off, and crossed the Tay to Dundee.* In that town the Pretender had been pro- claimed by the Magistrates, but the great body of the people were loyal. On the 6th of January 1716, the Pretender made a public entry into Dundee on horseback. Depart- ing on the following day, he proceeded through the Carse of Gowrie to Perth, and had himself crowned at Scone. Mr Hay having been for a long time indisposed,+ with little or no hopes of his recovery, steps were taken in 1717 by the Presbytery, at the request of the Parish, to obtain an assistant-minister, to whom the heritors and people bound themselves to pay 250 merks (£166 13s. 4d. Scots), and Mr Hay an equal sum out ot his stipend. The list of the subscrib- ers, with the amount of their subscriptions, is inserted in the Session Records, and is interesting as containing, we may pre- sume, the names of most of the householders a hundred and * The " Wodrow Correspondence," printed for the Wodrow Society, Vol ii., pp. 86-134. Thomson's History of Dundee, p. 91, &c. t His illness is first mentioned in 1712. 238 BALMERIXO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART fifty yearsago. (See Appendix, Xo.XYII.) Several preachers having been heard, 'Mt William Laurie was chosen, in Nov- ember 1718, by the heritors, elders, and heads of families ; but he ultimately declined the appointment. In February 1719, a petition was presented to the Presb}i:ery in faA^our of Mr Thomas Kerr, which being granted, the people requested in August 1720 that he should be ordained "assistant and successor" to Mr Hay. After various endeavours had been made by the Presbytery to induce both the parishioners and !Mr Hay to increase the proposed stipend to Mr Kerr, and to provide for him a house, with land and grass for a horse and cow, his salary was fixed at 250 merks from the people, be- sides £20 Scots and 3 chalders of grain, to be paid by Mr Hay out of the stipend. The parishioners also repaired a house at Balmerino for Mr Kerr, at a cost of £83 Scots. After- wards he removed to Mid-Scurr, where he got a lease of a house and land from Naughton, for which he paid the yearly rent and feu-duty; and the house was repaired and enlarged at the joint expense of Xaughton and the parish- ioners.* Mr Hay still occupied the Manse. * This house is said to have been in existence about the beginning of the present century. III.] PROTESTANT MINISTERS AND CHURCH. 239 CHAPTER VI. Mil THOMAS KERE. MR THO:\rAS STARK. MR JOHN STARK. MR ANDREW THOMSON. MR JOHN THOMSON. " Little avails it now to know Of ages passed so long ago, Nor how they rolled ; Our theme shall be of yesterday, Which to oblivion sweeps away, Like days of old." Longfellow. Mr Kerr was ordained "assistant and successor" to Mr Hay on the 1st of May 1722. In August following, he com- plained to the Presbytery that the voluntary stipend was not well paid, and was requested to give in a list of the de- faulters. In 1720 a paper was read from the pulpit concerning pre- cautions to be used against the Plague. In 1721 the schoolmaster complained to the Session that schools were kept in Gallery and Cultra, and some of the elders were sent to warn the teachers " to desist from that practice." At this time, and long before and after it, the Communion was always accompanied by tent-preaching in the church- yard. The "tent" was a moveable pulpit, somewhat resem- bling a sentry-box, with a door at the back, and a book-board in front, above which alone the preacher's person was visible. A minister preached from this erection to the crowd assem- bled from neighbouring parishes, while the Communion ser- vices were going on within the Church. 240 BALMERIXO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART About tliis peiiod there was annually a day, called in the Parish " road-day," on which the inhabitants, according to ancient custom, were obliged to turn out for the repair of the highways. This service was afterwards commuted into a money-tax. In 1723 a monthly meeting of Session for " prayer, and for enquiring into the state of religion in the parish ' ' was commenced, in obedience to an order of the Synod, and was kept up for a long period. In 1724, oOO new '"Communion tokens" were obtained, which cost 50s. Scots. About this time the country was oppressed by vast numbers of " vagabonds, and sturdy beggars," a fact which evinced the deep poverty of the working-classes. In January 1 724, there was a meeting of the heritors, elders, and householders of Balmerino to make better provision for the poor ; and it was agreed that poor children under 14 years of age, and ap- proved by the Session, should have badges, and be allowed to beg charity within the Parish (a custom as old as the reign of James Y.), and that all who begged without such badges should be punished. The rate for each pauper supported out of the Session-box was 4s. Scots — or 4d. sterling per week. There were at this time " Immorality Courts " instituted by the Church Courts, at the desire of the Justices, under an Act of Parliament, for fining those guilty of immorality and profaneness. These courts had their own officers to uplift the fines. Tlie "Court" in this Parish consisted of the Laird of Naughton (otherwise called the Session Bailie), and the fines were applied to the use of the poor. Naughton, who was very zealous as a Justice in punishing " vagabonds and sturdy beggars," and also in putting down " numerous [that is, largely frequented] penny-weddings" in this and the neighbouring parishes, applied to the Presbytery "to get what money was collected in their bounds for ransoming Eobert Carmichael from slavery among the Infidels, to be applied for helping to build a correction-house; the said III.] PROTESTANT MINISTERS AND CHURCH. 241 Robert Carmicliael being otherwise provided." In summer of the same year, " the vagabonds and sturdy beggars began to travel abroad again, and were very insolent and uneasy ;" and Kaughton and some of the ministers were sent by the Presbytery to the Justices of the Peace, to induce them to appoint more constables. In 1724, in obedience to an injunction of the General As- sembly, seven deacons are ordained for the Parish, " as the office is Scriptural and useful." In the same year Naugh- tane is thanked by the Presbytery for prosecuting certain " schismatical and disorderly persons by law, so as to rid the bounds of them." Mr Kerr died in November 1741. He had married, in 1726, Margaret, daughter of George Oliphant of Prinlaws; and he left three children. Mr Hay was still alive. Mr Kerr's brother, Mr John Kerr, was minister of Mains. Mr Thomas Stark, eldest son of Mr John Stark, minister of Logic and Laird of Eallindean, was the next minister of Balmerino. He had been licensed to preach on the 14th of July 1733. In 1739 he was presented to Collessie church by Lord Lindores. Patronage had been restored by the British Parliament in 1712; but it was so unpopular, that for thirty years it was frequently not exercised by the patrons, nor recognized by the Church courts. In this case the parishioners of Collessie, ignoring the presentation in favour of Mr Stark, petitioned the Presbytery to moderate in a call, and the Presbytery, by a large majority, agreed to do so, just as if no presentation had taken place. When the day hxed for the call arrived, there was one call for Mr Stark, and another, signed by the greater number of the people, for a Mr Kay ; w^hereupon Mr Stark withdrew his acceptance of the presentation in his favour, that there might be no ob- stacle to the peace of the parish; and his supporters, one of whom was Lord Leven, then joined with the rest in favour of Mr Kay, who was accordingly settled at Collessie. (P. Bee.) Q 242 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART In January 1742, at a meeting of heritors, elders, and heads of families of Balmerino Parish, it was agreed to petition Lord Balmerino, the patron, in favour of ]\Ir Stark, as as- sistant and successor to Mr Hay. Tlie petition was granted, but no formal presentation appears to have been given. A similar request having been made to the Presbytery, that they would moderate in a call to him, they did so, and he was ordained on the 27th of May. He received from Mr Hay three of the eight chalders, and sixty of the hundred merks which then constituted the stipend, with, probably, a con- tribution from the people. In 1 744 Acts of the General Assembly against smuggling were read from the pulpit. The Abbey ruins, it is said, were often used about this time, and long afterwards, for concealing casks of foreign spirits. Hth December 1745. "The Seasonable Warning and Ex- hortation by the Commission of Assembly concerning the present rebellion was read from the pulpit." 8ih June 1746. " A Proclamation by H.R.H. the Duke of Cumberland was read, together with the Act of Assembly appointing a thanksgiving for the victory obtained over the rebels at Culloden, to be observed Thursday the 26th inst,, as also an Act of the Privy Council giving His Majesty's royal sanction for observing that day." 2Qth June. Observed ac- cordingly. {K.-S. Bee.) It is well known that the Church of Scotland was eminently loyal at this time. The rebels entered Kilmany Manse " several times," and "carried oif some of the minister's effects he had put in places he thought they would not suspect, and some papers of value in his custody, particularly a bill of £17 sterUng, be- longing to the Kirk- Session." * There are in the district traditions of fugitive rebels crossing the Tay at Balmerino, after some of their engagements in the south ; and of a * Kew Stat. Ac. of Kilmany. III.] PROTESTANT MINISTERS AND CHURCH. 243 quantity of gunpowder having been found somewhere about Balmerino either at this time, or in 1715, after the rebels had departed. The people sowed the gunpowder in the fields, to prevent farther mischief. In 1748 Mr Stark succeeded to the estate of Ballindean and l!^ewbigging, by the death of his father. There were many other changes in the Parish about this time. Thus between 1737 and 1748 the estate of JSTaughton passed, by the bankruptcy of Robert Hay, to a new family (the Mori- sons) ; the estate of Birkhill, from a similar cause, came into the possession of new proprietors (the Scrimgeours) ; the family of Balmerino became extinct through the execution of Arthur, the sixth Lord, when the estate passed into other hands ; and there was also a new minister, and a new schoolmaster. Mr James Hay died in March, 1752. His incumbency extended to fifty-six years, during more than thirty-five of which he was laid aside from duty. The nature of his malady is not stated. He had a family of twelve children. The Session Eecords now, and henceforth, supply but few facts suitable for insertion here. In 1755 the minister's stipend was augmented by about 100 merks, equal to 10 or 12 bolls of victual, which, ap- parently, included the value of the teind yarn formerly paid, and then converted into money. On the 1st of January 1775, the Kirk-Session accounts began to be kept in sterling money, instead of Scotch, as formerly. The following Church collections, made about the same time, may be noted : — In 1756, one for the College of New Jersey; in 1767, one for AYheelock's Academy, Dundee; in 1773, one for Montrose Bridge; in 1776, one in aid of the " Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge in the Highlands and Islands." About the year 1780 appearances of persons under discipline before the congregation were discontinued. 244 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART Mr Thomas Stark died in March 1772, and was succeeded by his son Mr John Stark, who was licensed to preach on the 16th July of that year. On the 4th of August " a very considerable number of heritors, all the elders, and 55 heads of families " petitioned the Presbytery to moderate in a call to him, which (the Crown having issued a presentation in his favour) took place on the 3d of September,* He was then ill of a fever in Edinburgh, and asked the Presbytery to supply the Church " for a few months." His ordination did not take place till the 22d of April, 1773. In December 1776, Mr Stark applied to the Presbytery for leave of absence on some necessary business, which would oblige him to set out soon for London, and might detain him more than six weeks from his Parish; which leave, as he had provided supply for his pulpit, was granted. In September 1778, Mr Stark addressed a letter from Ire- land to the iSloderator of the Presbytery, offering an excuse for his absence. The excuse is not recorded, nor does it clearly appear how long he had been absent. The con- sideration of the letter was delayed till next meeting, when the Presbytery unanimously disapproved of his being so long absent from his charge, and authorized the Moderator to write to him, requiring his immediate return. On the 2d, of February 1779 he appeared in the Presbytery, made an apology for absenting himself without having asked leave, and declared that he had been detained longer than he had wished or expected, but had returned immediately on receipt of the Moderator's letter. On the 23d of October 1781, !Mr Stark addressed a letter to the Moderator of Presbytery, resigning his office as minis- ter of Balmerino, which resignation was acce^Dted. (For a further notice of Mr Stark see Part IV., Chap. TV.) * The patronagf? of the Church went to the Crown on the for- feiture of the Balmt iuo estates. III.] PROTESTANT MINISTERS AND CHURCH. 245 Mr Stark's successor was Mr Andrew Thomson, who was presented by the Crown. The Presbytery having been petitioned by " sundry heritors and others of the Parish " to moderate in a call to him, did so on the 16th of May, 1782. The people at that time seem not to have been, at least in this district, in the habit of signing calls, patronage having come to be administered in such a manner as to exclude entirely the popular voice. The call to Mr Thomson was subscribed only by James Morison of ]N"aughton, and Eobert Stark, proxy for Lord Moray and for "John Stark, Esq." (the previous minister). But "as none of the parishioners objected, they were held as concurring." Mr AYedderburn had sent a letter of concurrence, and George Marshall, elder, though he did not subscribe the call, " declared that for his part, he designed to own ]Mr Thomson as his minister." The ordination took place on the 5th of September, 1782. Mr Andrew Thomson was the author of the first Statisti- cal Account of the Parish of Balmerino, which was pub- lished in 1793, in Sir John Sinclair's great work. Though somewhat brief — occupying only nine pages — it is now interesting, as describing the state of the Parish upwards of seventy years ago. About the year 1796, Sabbath schools began to be estab- lished in different parts of the country. The system was new ; and being carried out, in most cases, in a spirit of hos- tility to the Established Church, it produced much irritation of feeling. In 1799 the General Assembly issued a Pastoral Letter on the subject, containing some sentiments which the Church would certainly not now homologate. The Assembly also enjoined Presbyteries to enforce the laws which placed all teachers of youth under the supervision of the Church. An Act of Parliament had been passed after the rebellion of 1745 prohibiting private schools, till such time as the teachers should take the oaths to Government, and have theii" schools registered. In the autumn of 1799, a com- 246 BALMERIXO AXD ITS ABBEY. [PART mittee of the Presbytery of Cupar waited upon the Sheriff, ■with the request, that he would allow no teacher to get his school registered, or take the oaths to Government, till he had produced to the Sheriff an approbation of his character and abilities from the Presbytery. The request was granted, and the Presbytery then caused to be summoned before them all " missionary and private teachers, and teachers of Sunday schools" within their bounds, that they might be examined, and appro ven or disapproven. Accordingly, on the 2 2d of October, the teachers appeared, to the number of twenty-six. Three went from Balmerino Parish, viz., David Johnstone, and John Lammy, who were approven ; and Andrew Mor- ton, who was disapproven. Three others from this Parish absented themselves, viz., William Anderson, Thomas Lang- lands, and David M'Donald. In December 1807, Mr James Smith, a "private teacher" in this Parish, and in 1811 a Mr Brown, submitted to a similar examination, and were approven. The existence of political disaffection and religious scepticism — the offspring of doctrines imported from revolutionary Prance — appears to have contributed to the adoption of such stringent mea- sures for guarding the instruction of the young. As we have now arrived at a period which is embraced by the memory of the older members of the present generation of the parishioners, we shall only set down a few additional notes. In 1805 the minister acquired a grass glebe of about eight acres Scotch, in addition to the arable glebe of about the same extent. Between 1777 and 1814, there were no fewer than five excambions of portions of the arable and grass glebes. In 1802 the stipend received an increase of about 500 merks, making it 8 chalders of victual, with 600 merks, exclusive of 100 merks for Communion expenses. It would thus amount to about 10|^ chalders, with £8, 6s. 8d. In 181 5 the stipend was further increased to about 14| chal- ni.] PROTESTANT MINISTERS AND CHURCH. 247 ders; in 1835 to 16 chalders ; and in 1861 to 18 chalders — half oatmeal, half barley — with £8, 63. 8d. A new Church, seated for 400 persons, was finished in 1811, and opened by Dr Campbell of Cupar, father of the late Lord Chancellor. While it was being erected, the con- gregation was united to that of Kilmany, and Mr Thomson preached in Kilmany church alternately with Mr Thomas Chalmers, who afterwards became so celebrated. The two clergymen were on very intimate terms with each other. When a new Manse was being built at Kilmany in 1810, Mr Chalmers occupied the farm-house of Fincraigs in Bal- merino Parish ; and, just before he left Kilmany, he assisted Mr Thomson in selecting a site for the new jManse of Bal- merino, commanding a beautiful view of the Tay and Carse of Cowrie, and in laying out the plan of the house, garden, and offices. The Manse was completed in 1816. In 1830 the Parish school was removed from Bottomcraig to the village of Gauldry, where there had usually been for many years a private school* On the 8th of July 1824, Mr John Thomson, who had been licensed as a preacher on the 19th of December 1820, was ordained assistant and successor to his father, Mr Andrew Thomson, who survived till the 6th of March 1 836. Mr John Thomson was the author of the second, or JS'ew Statistical Account of the Parish, which was written in 1838. Extend- ing to eighteen pages octavo, it presents an excellent view of the then existing state of the Parish, with notices of its past history ; and is better executed than many of the accounts of other parishes in the same volume. About thirty years ago, some Chartists from Newport commenced to hold meet- ings in Gauldry, which, however, were continued only for a few Sundays. In 1843 a congregation in connection with * Mr Paton, the late schoolmaster, had no school for many years before his death, and neglected the registration of births, &c. This neglect was, however, afterwards to some extent remedied. 248 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART III. the Free Churcli was formed in Gauldry, under the ministry of Mr Andrew Melville, who seceded from Logie. A Free church and manse were erected for him at Logie, where he resided, discharging, with the aid of an assistaot, the duties of both congregations till his death in 1852, when he was succeeded in the united charge by the present minister, Mr George R. Sommerville. A congregation in connection with the Secession, now the United Presbyterian Church, was formed in 17G2 at Eathillet, in Kilmany parish, Avhich has all along been attended by those of \hat communion living in the parish of Bahnerino. The present minister is !Mr James Berwick, ordained in 1837. !Mr John Thomson of Balmeriao died on the 22d of May 1857, in the 61st year of his age, and 33d of his ministry, and was succeeded by the present incumbent. HISTORY OF THE PEINCIPAL FAMILIES. I I CHAPTEE I. THE LAIEDS OF NAUGHTOK " Behold, behold, from out the shadowy Past Our Scottish fathers start ! They start, they come With onward eyes, around their lifted heads A troubled glory, as they light and sing Their stormful way across the stage of time !" AlRD. § 1. THE HAYS. (First Family.) It has been already stated that during the twelfth century Naughton was in the possession of a family of the name of De Lascels, and that Piobert de Luudon, a natural son of William the Lion, built a tower on ^Naughton rock.* The next family we meet with is that of the Hays. The first Hay of Errol, according to the most authentic accounts, was "William, who died towards the end of the twelfth century.f * See pp. 21, 24. + The traditionary account of the origin of the name of Hay. which ascribes it to the words " Hay, Hay," said to have been uttered by a countryman, who, with his two sons, turned the tide of a battle fought against the Danes at Luncarty about the year 980, and who was greatly fatigued by his exertions, is probably fabulous, and in- vented merely to explain the arms borne by the family, who are understood to be a branch of the Anglo-Xorman Hays, who came to Britain with the Conqueror, long before whose time there were lands and a lordship of that name in Normandy. (Wood's Peerage.) 252 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART His third son was " John de Haya de Ardnaughton," who married Juliana de Lascels. It was probably with this lady, or with Peter de Haya's wafe (to be noticed below), that Naughton, in whole or in part, came into the possession of the Hays. How the connection of the Lundins with Naughton ceased, does not appear. After his wife's death, and "for the welfare of her soul," John de Haya, with consent of his son Peter, gave a yair on the river Tay " to God and St Mary of Cupar," that is, to the Cistercian Abbey of Cupar- Angus. There are mentioned in the St Andrews Priory Eegister, under the year 1260, "Alexander, then Constable of Adenauctan," and '* Hervi of Adnauchtan," re- garding whom we have no farther information. There were many persons of the name of Lascels in the parishes of For- gan and Leuchars about this time. As late as 1466 and 1517 the proprietors of Innerdovat were named Lascels.* John de Ha^^a was, no doubt, succeeded by his son Peter. In the St. Andrews Priory Eegister we find Peter de Haya and (his wife) ]\Iarjory, daughter of Alan de Lascels, confirm- ing to the Priory the church of Forgund, and chapel of Atnauthan. Peter died some considerable time before 1266, in which year Marjory de Lascels, "in her legitimate widow- hood and free power," confirmed again that church and chapel to the Priory. She married, secondly. Sir Eichard de Moravia or Murray, who died before 1268, when she was again a widow. In that year her son. Sir Alexander de Moravia, granted at St. Andrews another charter of confirma- tion of the church of Forgan and chapel of l!^aughton to the Priory. It would appear that the knight possessed, and lived at Newton; for in 1281 he grants, "in his full court" there, a charter of an acre of land at Segy to the Canons of St. Andrews, in addition to the land which Duncan de Lascels (who, it seems, was his mother's uncle) had previ- * St. Andrews Priory Register. Sibbald's Hist, of Fife. IV.] HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 253 ously given to them at that place. This charter is witnessed by " John de Haya de Adenauthan," probably Sir Alexan- ders half-brother.* In 1269 Bishop Gamelin of St. Andrews granted the revenues of the church of Forgan, with its chapel of I^augh- ton and carucate of land, for " the perpetual upholding " of the Cathedral church of St. Andrews, on the retirement or death of Hugo de Strivelin, the incumbent of Forgan ; but reserving the stipend of the vicar who should serve in the same.t This is the last notice we have of the chapel of Naughton. In 1281 John de Hata, mentioned above as witness to a charter, seems to have possessed Xaughton, and to have been the second Laird so named. The successor of John was probably William de Haya, who, on the 17th of June 1292, swore fealty at Dunfermline to Edward I. of England + — a necessity which, as we have seen, was submitted to also by the Abbots of Balmerino and Lindores about the same period. William's immediate successor was, in all probability, "John de Hay of Adenauchtan," who served on a jury at Cupar in 1312. Between 1328 and 1332 John de Haya, " lord of Athnauthan," granted to the monks of Balmerino a charter, whereby he renounced in their favour a piece of ground lying west of the village of Gauldry.§ He was alive in 1362. The next Laird was Nicholas Hay of Naughton, regard- ing whom we know nothing more than that his name occurs in 1394. * St. Andrews Priory Eegister. The Murrays possessed Newton for a considerable time after this. Newton Castle was partly sur- rounded by a marsh for defence, as were also those of Leuchars, Caimie or Lord's Cairnie, Creich, and perhaps also Naughton and Kinneir. t St. Andrews Priory Register. I Appendix to Nisbet's Heraldry. § See page 96. 254 BALMERIXO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART iN^icholas was succeeded by Sir William Hay of Kaugh- ton, who witnessed a charter in 1406-7. This was a famous man in his day, and had the honour of having his exploits celebrated by two of our chief ancient Scottish poets, and also by an old French chronicler. Andrew Wynton, Prior of St Serfs monastery in Lochleven, who completed his Orygynale Cronykll of SaAland about the year 1420, and was contemporary with our hero, thus mentions him amongst those Scotsmen who fought in Flanders under Alexander, Earl of ]\Iar, the notorious son of the "Wolf of Badenoch :" — " Lord of the Nachtane, schire William, Ane honest knycht, and of gud fame, A travalit knycht, lang before than." The poet afterwards represents him, when about to com- mence an engagement, as conferring the honour of knight- hood on Gilbert Hay, who was probably a member of his own family : — '• The Lord of Xachtane, schire William, The Hay, a knycht than of gude fame. Made Schire Gilbert the Hay knycht." The French chronicler, in describing the battle of Liege, which was fought on the 23d of September 1407, thus notices Sir William, and Sir Gilbert Hay, amongst those who took part with the Earl of Mar in that engagement : — '"De ceux qui la furent venu, Des nobles Escossais ye fu En cestuy jour, que bien le s^ay, Lors messire Guillaume Hay ; Messire Jacques Scringour Fu en la bataille ce jour. * * ♦ I IV.J HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 255 De Hay Sire Guillebert Fut ce jour en armes appert Com bon et hardi combattant."* Under the slight disguise of ** Scringour" the reader will easily recognize Sir James Scrimgeour, Constable of Dundee, who is also mentioned by Wynton of Lochleven. He was an ancestor of the Scrimgeour- Wedderburns of Birkhill. The other Scottish poet who mentions Sir William Hay among the popular heroes of romance is Gavin Douglas, Bishop of Dunkeld, the celebrated translator of Virgil's .^Eneid into Scottish verse. In his " Palace of Honour," a poem written about the year 1501, the author, in a vision, finds himself in a wilderness, where he sees various troops of persons travelling to the Palace of Honour. Joining himself to the train of the Muses, he proceeds in their company to that happy place. After he has gained a view of the Palace, which is " planished with pleasure like to Paradise," and has beheld within its gates many stately tournaments and lusty sports, his attendant nymph conveys him to a garden, where he finds the goddess Yenus " seated on a gorgeous throne, with ane fair mirror gently upborne " before her, and in this mirror he sees shadowed forth the great events of the history of the universe, from the creation of the angels downwards ! Amongst other personages, says the poet, " I saw Raf Coilzear with his thrawin brow, Craibit Johue the Keif, and auld Cowkilbeis sow, And how the wran came out of Ailssay, And Peirs Plewman that maid his workmen few, Greit Gowmacmorne, and Fyn-Mac-Cowl, and how Thay suld be goddis in Ireland, as thay say ; Thair saw I Maitland upon auld Beird Gray, * Francisque Michel's " Les Ecossais en France — Les Fran9ais en Ecosse," vol. i., pp. 110, 111. M. Michel does not give the poet's name. See also Burton's " Scot Abroad," i., 65, 66. 256 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART Robene Hude and Gilbert with the quhite hand, How Hay of Nauchtonjiew in Madin land."* From the way in whicli Hay of ^aughton is mentioned, Mr Leighton conjectures that some of his feats of arms had formed the subject of an ancient ballad then well known, but now lost.f The iSTaughton charter chest contains a very curious docu- ment, which has been already printed in Maidment's " Analecta Scotica," relating to a proposed marriage between David Haj^, the son either of this Sir WilHam, or of a sub- sequent Laird of the same name, and Alison Murray, daugh- ter of Mary Murray, the wife of Alan of Kinnaird. Besides throwing light on the state of manners, the document is in- teresting as a specimen of the Scottish language, at that early period. It is of the same date as AYynton's Chronicle, which was written about forty-four years after Barbour's " Bruce," the only earher literary specimen of the language which now exists. Bellenden's translation of Hector Boece's History of Scotland — the oldest Scottish literary prose that has been preserved — did not appear till a hundred and twenty-six years after the date of this marriage-contract. The original is very neatly and distinctly written on vellum. A few words have been effaced by damp. The seals are un- fortunately wanting. T\^e give it entire. Indenture betwixt Sir William the Hat, and Alan OF Kinarde and Dame Mart of Murrat his AVife, 7th December 1420. "This indentur, made at Dunde, the sevint day of De- cember, the zheir of our lorde a thousand and four hundred and twenti, beris witnes that it is accordit betwix nobil and worthi men, Sir Williame the Hay, knycht, Lorde of the * Gavin Douglas's " Palace of Honour," Part iii., xlviii. (Perth Ed. of 1788.) t Swan and Leigbton's " Fife Illustrated." IV.] HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 257 Nauclitane, on the ta parte, and Alane of Kynnarde, Lorde of that like, and a nobil lady, Dame Mary of Murray his wyfe, on the tother pairt, in maner and condiciounis vnder writtin ; that is to say, that the said Dame Mary hass freli delyverit to the said Sir Williame, for a certane tretty be- twix thaim made, hir douchter Ahsoun of Murray, to be maryit with Davy the Hay, son and air to the said Sir Williame ; and gif it hapnis, as God forbeid, the said Davy to discesse, the foresaid mariage nocht fulfillit, the said Sir Williame sal mary the said Alisoun with ane vther son of his, and his air ; * and gif it hapnis ony of the forsaid sonnis and air to discesse, or nocht to consent to mary the said Alisoun, the said Sir Williame sal mary hir, in greabil place, with the counsale of Sir Williame Lindezai, Sir Wal- ter Lindezai, Wat of Ogilby, and Jone Skrymgeour, consta- bil of Dunde, thai beand oblist, leli and treuli, to furthir the said Sir Williame til his perfyte. ... for the said mariage ; alsua baith the forsaid partis ar oblyst to be evinlyke in the departing of the landis pertenand to the said Alisoun and hir sistris ; and gif ony debate hapnis thareapon, thai sal be submittit to the said Sir Williame Lindezai, Sir Walter Lindezai, Wat of Ogilby, and Jone Skrymgeour, and vndirly thair ordinance thareapon, but any obstakil in the contrare ; and gif it hapnis ony of thir for- said men to falyhe, as God forbeid, thai sal tak sic lyke men in thair sted als . . . and als oft as nedis ; alsua the foresaid Alane of Kynnar de, and Dame !Mary his wyfe, ar oblist to the said Sir Williame that nane of thaim sal [trete, na ?] ger tret, na thole to be tretit, als fer as thai may, leli and treuli, but fraude or gyle, Isobel, the douchter of the said Dame * A singular proof how Httle regard was paid to the objections of the fair sex in those days. If one brother did not fancy her, Alison was, without ceremony, to be turned over to the next. She, on the contrary, had no power of refusal, however much she might dislike the intended spouse. {Maidmenfs Note.) R 258 ' BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART Mary, to mak [alienatioun ?] of ony parte of hir heritage fra the richtwiss aires ; and in the lyke maner the said Sir Williame is oblist that he sal nocht trete the forsaid [Ali- soiin ?] of Murray, na ger trete, na thole to be tretit, als fer as he may, leli and treuli, but fraude or gyle, noithir in vir- ginite na viduite, til [alienate ?] ony parte of hir heritage fra the richtwiss airis, and to this bathe the partis ar oblist, vndir gude faithe ; alsua the forsaid Sir Williame [sal have ?] in keping and gowernaunce al the landis that per- tenis to the said Isobel of Murray ay qwill scho be recoA'erit of hir seiknes or dede, [assitli-] and till him the thrid part, and assithand til hir, ilke zheir, the twa partis of al the fruytis and profitis of hir said landis durand the tyme befor . . . . alsua the said Sir "Williame is oblist to do for the landis that pertenis to Thomas of Kynnarde and his wyfe Gilis of Murray, anenss the [recou-] erying of thaim at his gudli powar, as he dois for the landis that pertenis to the said Alisoun of Murray, but fraude ; and the said Alane oblissis him and his airis til assithe to the said Sir Williame half of al the costis that he makis for the said Thomas of Kynnarde and Gilis his wyfe, and the said Alisoun, and the landis pertenand to thaim, leli and treuli, but fraude or gyle ; and [th-] at al thir conditiounis befor written be kepit leli and treuli, but fraude or gyle, bath the partis ar oblyst, ilk ane til vthir, vndir gude faith ; and to the mair witnes of suthfastnes, the selis of the said "Williame and Alane to the partis of this indentur are entirchangiabli to put, the zheir, day, moneth, and place befor written." In contracts of this description two exact copies were written on one sheet of parchment ; they were then divided, and a copy delivered to each party. To prevent forgery, the parchment was cut in a zig-zig manner, so that if any sub- sequent dispute as to the authenticity of either counterpart should arise, it could easily be settled by putting the two IV.] HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 259 deeds together, and if they fitted into each other, the con- troversy was at once terminated. The present document is cut, or indented in this manner — hence the name indenture — and the following words arc inscribed under each of the four projecting portions of it : — (1) Gratia plena, Dominus tecum. (2) Benedicta tu in mulieribus. (3) Et Benedictus fructus beatusp]. (4) Cui Ihesu Criste. Amen.* Sir William Hay possessed also the lands and barony of Muii-town and Ardblair, near Blairgowrie. By a charter dated the 8th of August 1423, and confirmed under the Great Seal by Murdoch, Duke of Albany, governor of Scot- land, he alienated these lands in favour of "William Blair of Mulyne in Perthshire, f We find Sir AVilliam Hay wit- nessing two charters in 1460; and his seal is affixed to a docu- ment of the year 1467. J He must have been then of a very great age — if there were not two successive Lairds of Naughton of this name. Sir William Hay was succeeded by his son David, the " Davy the Hay " above mentioned, w^hose name occurs, as designed of Naughton, in 1440. Whether he married " Alisoun of Murray " does not appear. But it is certain that he did marry successively other two ladies. In 1440 he and his spouse Catherine resigned into the King's hands the lands of Wormet, in the barony of Naughton, for a new gift of them. § He subsequently married Isobel, daughter of Sir Thomas Wemyss of Rires, who, after Hay's death, be- came the wife of David Boswell of Balmuto. She continued * Maidment's *' Analecta Scotica," Vol. 11. t Douglas's Baronage. X Laing's " Supplemental Descriptive Catalogue of Ancient Scot- tish Seals." See also Appendix, No. XXIV., § 2. § Registr. Mag. Sigill. 260 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART to enjoy an annuity of twenty merks payable from the cus- toms of Dundee, which was bequeathed to her by her first husband. * Sir James Hay was served heir to his father David in 1470. It was probably this Laird whose brother was Pro- vost of Dundee, and is referred to in the following tradition. " John I^^iune^ son of David, and second Laird of Creich and Aether Eires. remained at home looking after the inte- rests of the estate, while his father was engaged in his political duties. He had often occasion to be in Dundee, and became intimate with the young Constable [Scrimgeour]. The Provost, at that time, was John Hay, a brother of the Laird of Naughton, a rich man, who kept a change, which was frequented by the two young men. Hay had a fair daughter [named Janet], with whom they both fell in love ; and Bethune, being the favoured suitor, succeeded, with the assistance of the Constable, in carrying off the lady, together with a cabinet containing 6000 merks in gold. They made their way to St Andrews, when Eethune, after placing her in the best inn, with the Constable and his friends, went quietly to his uncle the Archbishop, who returned with him to the inn, saw the lady and the gold, and, sending for a priest, had them married on the spot. He also Avrote to the old Laird, communicating the history of the adventure, with which he was well pleased. It is said that the Bethunes were a race of dark complexion, but that after this mar- riage, the Bethunes of Criech were ever fair-haired and beautiful" t * " Acts of the Lords of Council in Civil Causes," 1478-1495. t Wood's " East Neuk of Fife," p. 47. The story is derived from Martine of Clermont's Genealogical Collections in the Advocates' Library. There is a difficulty as to the date, James Bethune not \having been Archbishop of St Andrews till after the death of David Bethune of Criech. Bat he was Archbishop of Glasgow, and might have been in St Andrews at the time referred to. IV.] HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 261 Sir James Hay had a son William, who predeceased him ; and a daughter, on whom the property afterwards devolved. In 1494 he granted an obligation for marrying his daughter and heiress, Janet, to Sir Peter Crichton. Sir James died in 1513, probably at the battle of Flodden, which was fought in that year, and was fatal to so many of the Scottish gentry. In the same year Janet was served heiress to her father, and this family of Hays, after three hundred years' possession of Naughton, became extinct in the principal male line. From a valuation of Fife, of the year 1517, printed in Sib- bald's History, it appears that half of the extensive barony of jS'aughton had, previous to that period, been acquired by the Lairds of Kinnaird. The half thus alienated would ap- pear to have been in the present parish of Forgan. In 1616 John Kimiaird of that Ilk was served heir to his father in the superiority of half of the lands and barony of Naughton, including the patronage of the Chapel of St. Thomas of Seamylnes (at Newport), the ferry from Seamylnes to Dun- dee, the miln of Seamylnes, &c., then incorporated in the barony of Kinnaird. This superiority afterwards passed to the Livingstones of Kinnaird.* § 2. THE CEICHTOXS AXD BALFOUES OF NAUGHTON. In 1517 Sir Peter Crichtox and his wife, Janet Hay, obtained a Crown charter of Naughton in their favour. Crichton was Master of the Wardrobe to James III., and was descended from Lord Crichton, Chancellor of Scotland in the reign of James II. Before his succession to Naughton, * Thomson's '* Inquisitionum Retornatarum Abbreviatio." See also Appendix, No. XXIV, § 2. 262 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART he was designed of Sandford, Tvhere be seems to have lived after liis marriage. In 1524 the name of Sir Peter Crichton of Naughton occurs amongst those of the Scottish Lords who signed the engagement to Queen Margaret, widow of James TV. In 1529 Sir Peter alienated the barony of Naughton in favour of his son David ; and in the same year James Y. executed a Precept declaring that these lands were redeemable on payment of certain sums. As Sir Peter Crichton continued to be designed of Kaughton, it may be presumed that he redeemed his estate. As Knight- Captain of Edinburgh Castle, he refused in 1543 to deliver up that fortress to the Eegent Arran, when the young Queen Mary- was being conveyed from Stirling to Linlithgow. Arran, however, forcibly got possession of the Castle, and appointed another Captain. In 1546, Sir Peter, along with several neighbouring Fife gentlemen, warmly espoused the cause of the conspirators in the Castle of St. Andrews, for which they were threatened by Arran with death or imprisonment, if the Castle were not surrendered.* Sir Peter had a brother, George Crichton, who was a fellow-student of the poet Dunbar at St. Andrews, and took his Master's degree there in 1479. George afterwards became Abbot of Holyroodhouse, and in 1526 was promoted to the bishopric of Dunkeld. He is described by Spottiswoode, the Church historian, as " a man nobly disposed, very hospit- able, but in matters of religion not much skilled." In 1528 he formed one of the court of Bishops and Abbots who tried and condemned Patrick Hamilton at St. Andrews for heresy — the first mart}T to Protestant principles in Scotland. Thomas Forret, vicar of Dollar, who was of the family of Forret in Logic parish, was also cited to appear before Bishop Crichton, on the charge of preaching every Sunday ♦Tytler's "Life of the Admirable Crichton," 2d Ed., p. 13. Lyon's Hist, of St. Andrews, II., 368. Lesley's History. IV.J HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 263 to his parishioners — a duty then generally neglected by the parochial clergy, and left to the friars. In course of the ex- amination to which Forret was subjected, the Bishop, con- demning the use of the Scriptures, said to him, '■ I thank God that I never knew what the Old and the New Testa- ment was ; therefore 1 will know nothing but my Portuise and Pontifical "* — from which words there arose a proverb, long current in Scotland, " You are like the Bishop of Dun- keld, that knew neither the New Law nor the Eld." The Bishop, in a spirit of kindness, endeavoured to persuade the vicar to abandon what he considered a dangerous course, but without effect. The whole dialogue which took place between them is very amusing, but is too long for insertion here. It may be seen in Foxe's "Book of Martyrs." The result of the trial was that Forret, with several others, suffered death at the stake, on the Castle Hill of Edinburgh, in 1539. Knox informs us that one Wilson, servant of Bishop Crichton, made " a despiteful railing ballad against the preachers and against the Governor," for which he narrowly escaped being hanged. This Bishop founded St. Thomas's Hospital in Edinburgh, and entailed the patronage of it on several persons of the name of Crichton, kinsmen of his own ; the first in the substitution being his brother. Sir Peter Crichton of Naughton, and the second, Bishop Eobert Crichton. He died in 1543.| This Eobert Crichton, also Bishop of Dunkeld, and nephew of Bishop George Crichton, was probably a son of Sir Peter Crichton of Naughton. He had previously been Provost of St. Giles. When he saw the Eeformation ap- proaching, he managed to preserve his lands and palace of Clunie for his family by conveying them, on certain condi- * According to Spottiswoode, " he thanked God he knew neither the New nor the Old Testament, and yet had prospered well enough all his days." t Tytler's " Life of the Admirable Crichton." 664 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART tions, to his kinsman, Eobert Crichton of Elliock, Lord- Advocate, and father of the Admirable Crichton.* In 1539 Sir Peter Crichton acquired from Eobert, the last Abbot of Balmerino, the lands of Cathills, and a por- tion of Kilburns. He was still alive in 1543. He had at least three sons, David and William, both of whom became successively Lairds of Naughton, and James, designed of Cranston-Eiddel, who was Captain of Edinburgh Castle, and died before 1535. t David Crichtox of Xaughton married Lady Janet Leslie, daughter of George, third Earl of Eothes. In 1542 he was appointed Captain and Keeper of Edinburgh Castle during his lifetime, and had four hundred marks assigned to him annually for that office. J But this was perhaps only a pro- spective appointment as his father s successor. In 1553 Queen Mary made a gift of the non-entry of Xaughton to David Panter, Bishop of Eoss, a man of great learning, and frequently employed in public negotiations both at home and abroad. It would thus appear probable that David Crichton had died before the year 155-3, and that his brother, the next heir, had neglected to enter himself "vvith the superior, or, as it is otherwise expressed, had failed to renew the investiture — non-entry being the casualty which in such a case falls to the superior, who is entitled to the rents of the feu. William Crichtox, designed of Drylaw in Midlothian, was served heir to his brother David in 1558. In 1563 he alienated the barony of Xaughton in favour of his son Alexander, and in the same year Queen Mary confirmed the ransaction. He hved, however, long afterwards. Alexander Crichton of Drylaw and Xauchton, and liis • Tjtler's "Life of the Admirable Crichton." t " Liber Officialis vS. Andree," printed for the Abbotsford Club. X Pitcairn's Criminal Trials. IV,] HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 265 relative, Bishop Eobert Cricliton of Dunkc4d, were warm partizans of Queen ^Mary, and joined those who, under Kirkaldy of Grange, held Edinburgh Castle in her interest, and were hence called Castilians. In 1570 Drylaw was the leader of a band of Castilians, who, sallying out of the Castle, forcibly rescued one of their friends that was then imprisoned in the Tolbooth for a murder which he had com- mitted.* On the decline of the Queen's affairs in 1571, Drylaw, with the Bishop of Dunkeld, three sons of Balfour of Mountquhany, George Douglas the " Postulate," and many others of her party had their estates forfeited. But remaining still faithful to the Queen's interests, they fell into the hands of the opposite faction in 1573, when the Castle was taken. Kirkaldy himself was executed. ]\Iost of the others, including Bishop Crichton, were sent prisoners to Blackness Castle. Alexander Crichton of Drylaw was probably imprisoned in the same fortress. He was, however, afterwards liberated. t During these troubles, Georoe Douglas, Bishop of Moray, acquired Xanghton,J but in what manner does not appear. This notorious person was a nfitural son of Archibald, Earl of Angus, and was called the " Postulate," because he had formerly been Postulate and Commendator of Arbroath Abbey. He was one of the chief agents in the murder of Rizzio, to whom he gave the first blow, by stab- bing him over the Queen's shoulder with such fury, that the blood was sprinkled over her Majesty's garments, and the * Calderwood's Hist, of the Kirk of Scotland, vol. iii., p. 21. t Ibid., vol, iii., p. 137. Tytler's Hist, of Scotland. I '"Closed Record in Question between the Lord- Advocate, and Mrs Catherine Eunice Mackenzie or Morison, and Robert Haldane, Esq., W.S., Tutors to Miss Morison of Naughton, &c.," 29 Oct. 1856. The author is indebted to Mr Haldane for a copy of this valuable Record, and for other information concerning Naughton, which he has incor- porated in these pages. 266 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART dagger left sticking in Rizzio's side. He also finished the business, by snatching from its sheath the dagger of Darnley (whose heart now failed him), and plunging it into the mangled corpse, exclaiming at the same time, " This is the "blow of the King ;" his object in so doing being to draw attention to Darnley's complicity in the assassination, lest he should afterwards deny it. " The Postulate " had previously proposed to Darnley that they should drown the Italian, while the three were engaged in fishing on a lake.* He became Bishop of Moray in ] 573. In 1574 Bishop George Douglas resigned the lands of Kaughton in favour of Alexander Crichton, and the transac- tion was confirmed in the same year by James VI. The royal charter styles Crichton "apparent of Drylaw," and confers upon him the usual baronial rights, including the power of pit and gaUows.f The charter is witnessed by (amongst others) the celebrated George Buchanan, as Keeper of the Privy Seal. The trial of this Laird in 1587 has been already noticed. + In 1582 he was one of the executors of the will of the Admirable Crichton's father. The estate of Xaughton having become burdened with debt to the amount of about 18,000 merks, Alexander Crichton sold, in 1594, to David Balfour of Balledmonth, in Forgan parish, the lands and fishings of Byrehills, Kirk- hiUs, Cathills, Wormet,§ and the superiority of a portion of * Miss Strickland's Life of Queen Mary. "t The charter also confirms to Crichton the patronage of the "churches and chapellauies " of the barony, which had belonged to Bishop Douglas. But it is diflBcult to make out what these were, the church of Forgan having belonged to St. Andrew's Priory, the chapel of Naughton being apparently no longer in existence, and that of St. Thomas of Seamylnes having been, in all probability, previously transferred to the Lairds of Kinnaird. X See page 171. § In Bleau's Atlas (1662) a loch, or sheet of water is placed at Wormet. But as there was a miln there, it is perhaps only the miln- dam that is meant. IV.] HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 267 Innerdovat, and other lands. Some of these lands had heen previously mortgaged to Balfour, and to his father, David Balfour, whose wife Catherine Crichton was probably of the family of Naughton. The portion thus alienated amounted to about two-thirds of the whole barony as then existing, and the sum received for it was 22,000 merks. In 1596 Sir Andrew Balfour of Balledmonth got a Crown charter of confirmation of these lands, together with those of Balledmonth, Sandford, Frierton, and others ; all which were thereby incorporated in one " free tenandry," to be called the "tenandry of Balledmonth." In 1612 Sir Andrew sold the lands and fishings of Byrehills, Kirkhills, and Cathills to Peter Hay of Xether Durdie. We now return to the Crichtons. In 1594 Ludovic, son of Alexander Crichton, obtained a Crown charter, which was followed by another in 1601, confirming to him the re- maining lands of Naughton, viz., the Tower, Manor-place, and Mains of Naughton, Brownhills, Gallowhills, Galray, Skur, Kilburns, and the superiority of Segy and of Sand- ford-Hay; and incorporating these in a "free tenandry," to be called the "tenandry of I^Taughton." In 1615 Ludovic Crichton alienated the Mains of Il^augh- ton to James Eamsay ; and in 1621, with consent of his eldest son Ludovic Crichton, the said James Eamsay, and other curators and creditors, he sold to Peter Hay of !N'ether Durdie all the lands and superiorities forming the " tenan- dry " of Naughton. In the same year George, eldest son of Peter Hay, obtained confirmation by the Crown of a charter then granted to him by his father, of the whole barony thus reunited, and as existing in recent times.* * See Appendix, No. XXIV., § 3, 4. 268 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART § 3. THE HAYS OF XAUGHTON. (Second Family.) Peter Hay of l!^aughton was the eldest son of George Hay of Eoss, a branch of the Hays of Megginch, who were descended, through the Hays of Leys, from the family of ErroL* Peter Hay acquired, in the year 1600, the estate of Nether Durdie in Kilspindie parish, but resigned it before 1621. In 1617 he obtained a Crown charter of Nether Frierton in the parish of Forgan, which was confirmed to him and his son George in 16-43 ; in which latter year they also acquired the barony of Blebo. A few years afterwards, Blebo was sold to a brother of Bethune of Balfour. Peter Hay acquired also various lands in Balmerino Parish, in addition to those of Naughton. Between 1620 and 1622 he purchased the eastern half of Newgrange (now Fincraigs), including the half of the lands of Cleikumscleuch, of Battlelaw, and of Outfield of Byres, with 13 acres in Bangove, 16 acres in Dochrone, 6 acres in Cultra, 3 acres in Harlands, and 1 acre in AVoodflat — all which had been possessed in the latter half of the previous century by a family named Eamsay.t Before 1631 Peter Hay also acquired North Kirkton of Bal- merino, otherwise described as " four oxgates of arable land on the north part of the Mains or Manor Place of Balmerino." These lands had been feued by Abbot Eobert in 1551 to Thomas Wilson, had passed in 1600 to his son Henry Wilson, and in 1617 belonged to Eobert Fyfe. Peter Hay was a man of no small celebrity in his day. He took a keen interest in the ecclesiastical questions which then agitated the couutr}^ and twice appeared as an author. * Information regarding the descent of this family, as well as of the former Hays of Xaughton, was kindly communicated to the author by T. D, Buchanan Hay, Esq. of Morton. t See Part IV,, Chap. V. IV.J HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 269 His first work, published in London in 1616, is entitled, "A Vision of Balaams Asse. Wherein Hee did perfedJy see the present estate of the Church of Rome. Written hy Peter Hay J Gentleman of North Britaine* for the reformation f)f his Countrymen. Specially of that truly Noble and sincere Lord, Francis Earle of Errol, Lord Hay, and great Con- stable of Scotland.'^ It is dedicated to George Abbot, Arch- bishop of Canterbury, but has prefixed to it a long address to King James, explaining why it was not dedicated to His Majesty. From this book we learn much of Peter Hay's early history. Like the head of his family, Lord Errol, he was bred a Eoman Catholic. But "as Plato and other philosophers had travelled over the world to acquire natural knowledge, he thought it both ignominious and dangerous for him, if he should not pain himself to understand the truth of God's worship ; whereupon, transported with the fury of this prejudice, and closing his eyes against the splen- dour of the Word which did shine at home, he resolved once to fine himseK intra limina apostoJorum, within the town of Rome, that pretended mother Church, without the which, there was no means of salvation, as then he did imagine." His peregrinations beyond seas had, however, been judged by many to be " untimely, temerary, perillous, and unprofit- able;" and a certain Papist had said of him, "that he had gone abroad the voyage of King Saul, to bring home his father's asses, which bitter insectation, with many such like tempests of men's tongues, he had since (like a true and up- right ass) borne forth with no other armour than patience." It was this sarcasm, together with the circumstance that only two " beasts " are mentioned in Scripture as possessing the faculty of speech, the serpent and the ass, which induced him to write his book, and to take the name of Ass in the * There is ample internal evidence that tlie author of this book, and of the "First Blast of the Trumpet," noticed below, was the same Peter Hay. 270 BALMERIXO AXD ITS ABBEY. [PART title of it. As the serpent opened his mouth "to suborn impiety and rebellion against God," and the ass opened his mouth to reprehend sin in the prophet, so the serpent (he concludes) must be the worst of beasts, and the ass " the best and most simple of beasts, and most excellent for natui-al goodness." So sincere a Eoman Catholic had he been, that when in France, he had often heard more than twenty masses in one week. In a letter to Lord Errol, written from Paris, he had praised his own resolution of coming forth, like Abraham, that he might worship the Lord truly, and be blessed of him in a strange land. He was then " so pleased with the shows [of the Eomish worship] so gracious to the senses, that he took no pleasure in lifting up the veil which was so delicately painted ; reserving his chief curiosity to have her content- ment in the famous city of Eome, the chiefest theatre for knowledge of things." The effect of his visit to Rome was, however, the reverse of what he had anticipated. What he saw there was much worse than anything he had witnessed in France ; and the pretended power of working miracles, the Pope's dispensations and indulgences, and the condition of the cloistral life opened his eyes to the true nature of Popery. Eeturning through France, he had interviews with the famous Protestant Causabon, with whom he had been previously acquainted, and who now still farther exposed to him Eome's opposition to Eeformation. On his arrival in England, he delivered to King James (whom, as a matter of course, he compares to Solomon) some communications with which Causabon had charged him. The King, " by his rare and singular wit," displayed in his table talk, helped him still farther to a settlement in Eeformation principles. Hav- ing reached Scotland, and being in Perth, where Errol was then confined, he, with his Lordship, often heard "that great and divine preacher," afterwards the Bishop of Galloway, who, for Errol's instruction, preached against " Eome's an- IV.] HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 271 tiquity, universality, and succession," which still farther benefited him. " After this (says he) I went to dwell in Dundee for the space of two whole years, where I did most diligently hear that excellent preacher, Master David Lynd- say, and his fellow-labourer in the church of that city, in whose worth, I think, doth consist no small part of the happiness thereof." He likewise studied theology, and at length " got a sure hold of the thread of God's Word, which is our only guide through this mystical pilgrimage of human follies, of which thread Christ hath left the one end here with us on earth, in his word, and hath tied the other upon the gate of heaven, which he did first open." Though he was thus led to renounce Popery, he confesses that he had been beholden to the Pope's humane and courte- ous behaviour to him during his residence in his dominions, and to the true affection of some of his cardinals, in whom he saw nothing but virtuous conversation. But to the charge brought against him by some Papists, that he went to Eome per fare le spia, to play the spy, and that he received the Pope's money, and paid him back with false measure on his return home, he answers that he received nothing from the Pope, except " medals, beads, Agnus Deis, indul- gences, and such childish toys and trash, whereof he made small account even then, much less now. He might have pursed the Pope's money, but did not." Besides the account of its author's recantation of Popery, the volume (which extends to 306 pages, small quarto) con- tains a full exposure of the " tyranny of Eome," a discussion of the question of her reformation or dow^nfall, and a lengthy argument in favour of Episcopal government of the Church, and of the use of organs in her worship. " When I hear (he says) the Te Deum in the vulgar tongue, gravely and reve- rently sung in the Cathedral Churches of England, how others are affected, I know not, but for myself, methinks the very celestial temple of God is brought down among us, or we in 272 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART these bodies wrapt up among the seraphims, and bearing parts in the quire of heavenly soldiers. Moreover unto such vocal singing here is distinctly added the other help of ador- ing and adorning the heavenly Majesty by instrumental harmony, the harjjs ; and they honoured with an attribute, the harps of God.'' This book, though, like most of the writings of that age, abounding in quaint conceits, shows (as does also Hay's other treatise) that he was a close observer, an able, and sometimes eloquent defender of the opinions he had adopted, and well read in the Classics and Christian Fathers. The volume also contains a specimen of its author's powers in Latin composition, being a complimentary inscrip- tion to King James in elegiac verse.* Peter Hay's second book (also in small quarto) was pub- lished by Eaban of Aberdeent in 1627, the author being then sixty years of age. It is entitled, ^^ An Advertisement to the Subjects of Scotland of the fearfidl Dawjers threatened to Christian States; and, namely, to Great Britaine by the Ambitione of Spayne ; with a contemplation of the truest Meanes to oppose it. Also Diverse other Treatises Touching the loresent estate of the kingdoms of Scotland verie neeessa- rip, to be knoicne, and considered, in this Tyme ; called The First Blast of the Trumpet, Written by Peter Hay of Naught on in North Britaine.''' % The publication of this book made a great sensation, and it was to have been considered, perhaps condemned, in the Diocesan S}Tiod of St. Andrews, on the 2d of October 1627, as may be inferred from the following entry in the Synod * See Appendix, No. XI. t Raban was a printer from England, who first settled at St. An- drews, and afterwards at Aberdeen, being the first printer north of the Grampians. This book of Hay's was the fourth ever printed in Aberdeen. (See Innes's " Sketches. &c." p. 299.) X This title was obviously an imitation of that of a work by Knox. IV.] HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 273 Minutes of that date : — " ^ly Lord Archbishop desired that the purpose concerning Mr Peter Hay of Kaughton his buik suld not be mentioned in the publick Synod, and de- claired that his Lordship wald not be present if the saui war spoken of." Some writers, having evidently not seen this book (which, as well as the " Vision of Balaams Asse," is now extremely scarce), have described it as offensive to the Archbishop, but the opposite is more probably the truth. Eow terms Hay " a Papist, who was blyth that the bishops were so risen, and riseing to preferment in this countrey." But Sir James Balfour of Denmiln more correctly designates him " a sworn servant of the hierarehy."^ One portion of the book, entitled ^^Reformation of the Barre and Advocates, hoiv necessary,'" was answered in verse by David Primrose in "An Apology for Adfocatesy (Edinburgh, 1628, 4to.)* Sir James Balfour saysf : — " Amongst articles which came here subscribed by the King, dated Wainstead, 12th July 1626, one (No. 9) was, ' You shall desyre Mr Peitter Hay of Naughton to deliver his booke to be perused by the Arch- bishop of St. Andrews and you ; and when ye have reformed such things as you think fitting, that you causse put the same to the presse and publish it.' Article Xo. 10 was, * Ye shall certify the said Mr Peitter from us^ that we have taken notice of his good service done to our late deir father, and of his ability and sufficiency to serve us, and, when fitting occasion shall offer, we shall not be forgetful, but have a care of his preferment.' Charles PtEX." As a specimen of this book, and as showing how the Scottish Eeformation affected tenant-farmers of Church lands which (like those of this Parish) had been afterwards erected into temporal lordsliips, we present the following * Row's History of the Kirk, p. 381, note. (Wodrow Soc. Ed.) t Works, vol. II., p. 145. 274 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART passages, in whicli the author, no doubt, has his neighbour, Lord Balmerino, in his eye : — " The old Abbot and his Convent anciently following the monastic life, exempted from public offices, or travelling to Court or Session, or anywhere else abroad [?], they were content with the payment of their rental in easiest manner, and often times with less, and did bestow great part thereof in hospitality to the payers ; and albeit their poor tenants were oblisht to them for service of harriage and carriage, yet they did impeach them no more but once a year to lead in to their cloisters, upon the cloistral charges, some fleshes, fishes, or fuel : this Tvas all. But now, with the change of the lord, the tenant hath changed the happiness of his poor condition. For why ? To speak sincerely, the tyranny of the Papal Abbots was exercised most in that case against their king, by spoiling from him the vasallage of his natural subjects ; otherwise, they were most bountiful and indulgent to their tenants, w^ho now by this change are brought to as pitiful slavery as the Israelites under Pharaoh. Their lord he is not a churchman, nor of the cloistral profession : he hath continual ado with Court and Session : he hath daily occasion of sending carriages, and bringing from abroad : the basest of his servants must not go afoot, he must be carried, if it were upon the neck of his poor tenant : he must labour his lord's vineyards, and make his brick, with much hunger in his belly the meanwhile. The king cannot help him, because his lord hath the authority of an heritable court, and is absolute over him : he will not lead his tithes, but still he must have more than the worth in bolls, and when it is so, greater prices than be ordinary ; if he have to send through the country his cooks, the poor man must bring the horse from the harrows, albeit the season were never so fair ; and a number of like things, which if they be not presently done, he taketh decreets to himself in his own courts (which no Christian king doeth), and sendeth his officers to poynd the poor creature with such rigour, that rV.] HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 275 if there were no more in his house but the pot, wherein his silly portion of meat is preparing, it must be taken from him ; that very sure it is, that Christian people be not so oppressed under the Turk." And again : — "Whereas they were illuded in the beginning of Keformation of religion in Scotland, and made to believe that they should pay but the fifteenth sheaf, now it [the tenth sheaf] is so rigorously ex- acted, that if there be a stuck ruffled with the weather, or with the beasts, that the Tenthmaster will not have ; he must have the best. And in place to shave the poor man's hair gently, by a violent pull he bringeth with him a por- tion of his hide." In this second book the author says that he " has now gotten place upon an higher stage, and has become familiar with the muses, more sublime and divine, where he under- stands nature." This volume accordingly contains a specimen of his poetical powers in the vernacular, as the other showed his abilities in the composition of Latin verse. It is a poem of eighty four-lined stanzas, and is entitled, ^^ An Heroicke Song in Prayses of the Light, most fitting for the Nightes Meditation^ The followiug are the first five stanzas, the spelling being, as in the former extracts, modernized : — " Now down is gone the stately globe of light Which Thou, great God, created'st for the day, And we are -WTapt into the clouds of night. When sprites of darkness come abroad to prey. " Our body's from its functions releas'd, Our senses are surprised unto sleep, To guard our souls, Lord Jesus Christ, make haste, Deserted thus into a fearful sleep. *' Keep light into the lantern of our mind, For to direct our watching sprite aright. That though our foes were all in one combined, They may not yet attrap us by their sleight. 276 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART " Light was the first -bom daughter of the Lord, Who with her beams did busk and beautify That vast chaos, before of God abhorred, And made her members lovely, as we see. " Yet is this Light nought but a shallow stream Of that above in glory infinite, And so but of His shadow hath the name, Who did into that narrow globe confine it." Near the conclusion of the poem are the following stanzas, in which the author imagines the several orders of creation harmoniously uniting in celebrating the praises of the Most High :- " There thou shalt see Christ settled in his throne, As golden Phoebus in his silver sphere ; Amongst nine choirs of angels, Lord alone, Like planets placed about his royal chair ; " Where troops of saints, like stars, do move astray ; As scaly squadrons sport into the deep. So in that Lightsome ocean they play, And still an heavenly harmony they keep " Of music, that can never be expressed ; Yet, by a sensible similitude, We may imagine that it is addressed By four chief parts of men, so understood ; " And that, by several alternatives, A mutual and mighty melody One theatre t' another aye derives, Sounding the glore of that Great Majesty. - " The Alto angels sing, as I suppose, ■ Of 'stablished rank, the foremost stage they fill ; To celebrate His Providence they choose. And divine names belonging thereuntill. "The Tenor by the voice of saints resounds, The praises of his sanctity they sing ; IV.] HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 1877 And this echo from stage to stage rebounda, Holy, holy is our Almighty King ! " The Bass is tuned by harmon' of the spheres: The sweet consent that we see them among The true characters of his wisdom bears, And learned* hold them vocal in their song. " The Halleluiah of the Church militant Mounts up to make the Counter-Bass perfyte, With lofty strains of music resonant His goodness and His mercy they indite. "The subtle alchemist can separate The quintessence, and make it to ascend ; So are the Church's prayers alembicate By that great Sprite who doth her still defend." Peter Hay's conduct towards the second Lord Balmerino in reference to a supplication to the King, which nearly cost that nobleman his life, will be found noticed in the sequel.t Lieutenant-Colonel James Hay, one of Peter Hay's sons, was taken prisoner at Karbester in 1650, and ordered by the Scottish ParHament to be sent in custody to Edinburgh. In 1654 he, "a gentleman intimat with the English, and for them (says Lament of Xewton, in his Diary), was chosen att Cuper of Fyfe, by the gentrie of Fyfe, for ther Comis- sioner" to the Parliament to be held at London, 3d Septem- ber 1654. Peter Hay was succeeded by his eldest son George. Lamont informs us, that in 1649 George Hay was chosen one of the Commissioners to Parliament for the shire of Fyfe. In the following year he was appointed one of six persons " to visit the counts of His Majesty's treasury and his house- hold affairs." Being opposed to Cromwell's usurpation, he * Learned^ i.e, learned men. + See page 288. 278 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART •was fined in 1654, by the Protector, in the large sum of £1000 sterling. Many of the Fife proprietors never re- covered from the losses which they sustained at this time, by the exactions of both the political parties who divided the country. Lamont informs us that Patrick Hay, Naughton's brother, was one of several gentlemen who were kept prisoners by the English in Edinburgh Castle, and who, on the 28th May 1654^ escaped over the Castle wall by tying their sheets and blankets together, and using them for ropes. Another of the party was Lord KinnouU. The melancholy death of the wife of Patrick Hay, Kaughton's son, is thus narrated by Lamont, under the 30th of June 1668. " Mar- garet Sword, the deceassed Provost Sword* att St Andrews his daughter, leatly wedded to Mr Pa. Hay, one of Xawgh- ton's sonns, was interred at Balmirrino in the day tyme in like maner. Some dayes before, haveing gone owt to the Kawghton to make a visitt from St. Androws, she fell downe a stair ther, and brack both hir leggs, and putt hir armes owt of ioynt ; of which fall she shortly after dyed." Another son of this Laird was John Hay, D.D., minister of Falkland in 1673, and "outed" at the Revolution. In 1682 he acquired the estate of Wester-Conland. Another son of George Hay, named Thomas, was an officer in the King's Scots Guards, and was the father of James Hay, minister of Balmerino. George Hay, minister of Balmerino, was perhaps also a son of this Laird. Isabel, eldest daughter of George Hay of K'aughton, was married in 1650 to the second Sir John Leslie of Birkhill. " The marriage feast (says Lamont) stood att Xawghtin in Fyfe." This lady pre- * There is a monument in St. Andrews Cemetery to a James Sword, who died in 1657, probably the person here referred to. It is stated of him that he " had lived in Christ," vixerat in Christo ; but some one has put a dot after the vix, which makes the words read vix erat in Christo, " he was scarcely in Christ." (Lyon's History of St. Andrews, vol. n., p. 162). IV.] HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 279 sented her brother, the minister of Falkland, with two Com- munion cups (of silver) for that Church, in which they are still used. We have seen that her father presented two similar cups to Balmerino Church, and that other two were afterwards added by the bequest of his grandson.* George Hay w^as succeeded in ISTaughton by his eldest son Peter, regarding whom Lamont has the following, under July 1655: — "The young Laird of Naughton, surnamed Hay, in Fyfe, maried the young lady of Pittreue, Fordell Henderson's sister ; they were maried at Achtertoulle by Mr Andro Waker. They were at Halyeards, be way of visit, and none knew that they intended to be maried so sudenlie." In 1670 Peter Hay obtained a Crown charter of all the lands then possessed by his family, whereby they were united in a barony, to be called the " barony of Kaughton." This charter was ratified by Parliament in 1672. The barony thus erected anew comprehended various lands which, as we have seen, did not form part of the original barony. In the persecution which i-aged at this period, the Laird of Naughton suffered for his Presbyterian principles. It ap- pears that he was imprisoned. Wodrow states that on the 23d of July, 1685, Patrick Hay (meaning, apparently, Peter Hay) of !N"aughton was liberated under bond of £10,000 sterling, to appear when called. In 1 690 and following years, he was one of a Royal Commission for the visitation of uni- versities and schools, under the Revolution Government, f Peter Hay died in 1784, and was succeeded by his eldest son John, who was a captain in the army. John Hay died in 1709, without surviving issue, when the estate went to his brother Robert, who had a numerous family. Robert Hay had been previously designated of * See page 235. t In 1695 " Lady Naughton " had a property in Dunfermline parish, whose annual value was L.869 Scots, (Sibbald's History of Fife and Kinross, Adamson's Ed^ App., No. VH.) 280 BALMERIXO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART Drumcarro, and in 1704-5 had rented Birldiill House. In 1718 he was appointed a member of a Eoyal Commission for visiting the University of St. Andrews, This was the last Laird of Xaughton of the name of Hay. The estate, being neavily mortgaged, was brought to a judicial sale by the creditors in 1737. Eobert Hay appears either to have died, or to have left Xaughton, several years before that period. There was a judicial factor on the estate in 1732.* § 4. THE MOEISONS OF l^AUGHTON. When Eobert Hay of iN'aughton became involved in pecuniary difficulties, his wants, it is said, were frequently supplied by loans of money from William Morisox, mer- chant in Dundee, a man of frugal business habits, who, by his diligence and economy, had accumulated a large amount of wealth. Morison was in the habit of appearing at Xaughton in a very unpretending style, and wearing plain threadbare garments ; in consequence of which he was sometimes sup- posed to be a poor wanderer in quest of charity, rather than a man of means who had come to supply the wants of the Laird, and at the same time to receive ample security for his money. On one occasion, when Mr Hay's son, a gay dash- ing young man, whose high spirits were nowise depressed by his father's difficulties, was riding on horseback, he met Mr Morison walking in the grounds of !N"aughtoiL Being unacquainted with the unassuming stranger, and dishking his appearance, young Hay dismounted, and gave him a thorough whipping with the horse-whip which he carried. On returning to the Castle, he related his performance to his father, who, being shocked at his son's reckless conduct, re- plied in dismay, " Laddie, you have whipped the Laird of * See Appendix, No. XXIV., § 5. IV.] HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 281 Kaughton ! " His words turned out to be true, for, when the estate was sold, it was purchased by this WilUam Morison, who was the chief creditor. In 1745 William Morison obtained a Crown charter in his own favour, and in that of James Morison his eldest son, of the barony of JS'aughton, including the superiority of Seggie, Sandford-Hay, EedmjTe, and Hay's Mills, in Leuchars and Forgan parishes, and the property of half the lands of Seggie, and of certain lands in Balmerino Parish acquired by the Hays after the year 1670. William Morison was succeeded by his son James, who was a merchant and Bailie of Dundee. He was known by the sobriquet of "Bailie Clip," in consequence of certain operations he was alleged to be in the habit of performing on the current coin of the realm. James Morison was succeeded by his son James, who, in 1778, obtained a Crown charter of his father's estate. He was the only one of a family of nine who reached the age of manhood, and he had not received an education suitable to the position to which he ultimately succeeded, by the death of his elder brothers. He lived for a time at Bellfield, in Cupar, coming out to Kaughton in summer only, where he occupied a two-storied house in the more modern part of the Castle buildings. Eventually he resided constantly at iNaughton, having built the present Mansion House about the year 1790. About the same period the tower of the old Castle, being in danger of falling, was undermined and taken down, and the whole building dismantled. The Lairds of Naughton had lived on the Castle Eock for about six hun- dred y^ears previous to this date.* There are still in Naugh- * There is a tradition in the Parish, that on one occasion the wife of a Laird of Naughton, who had become insane, threw her child out of a window of the Castle, but that the child was saved from being precipitated to the bottom of the deep valley behind the Castle, by being caught in the branches of 2k tree- 282 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART ton House two old pictures, which give the front and back views of the Castle buildings, as they stood in 1760. James Morison was reckoned a very convivial man even in those convivial times, and many stories are told of his hospitality, and good-humoured freaks amongst his tenants and others. He married the daughter and heiress of the Eev. David Maxwell, minister, and Laird of part, of Strathmartine, but his daughter Isobel was the only one of his children who survived him. His only son William became Colonel of the Tayside Fencibles, which regiment had been raised by him in the district. It is said that the intended embarkation of this regiment on one occasion for foreign service, which was much opposed by the men, as being contrary to their terms of enlistment, was at the eleventh hour stopped by Govern- ment, in consequence of Colonel Morison' s energetic remon- strances. Having run into debt, he was obliged by his father, who had a just horror of debt, to sell the estate of Strathmartine, which he inherited from his mother, though much less than its value was obtained for it. James Morison died in 1816, and was succeeded by his daughter Isobel, who married William Bethune of Blebo. Their only child, Isabella Maxwell Morison, died at Paris in 1818, being then in the twenty -third year of her age. On the death of WilHam Bethune, his widow, adopting the name of Mrs Bethune Morison, resided at Naughton, where she died in 1850, in the ninetieth year of her age. She be- queathed the estate of Xaughton to a distant relative, Adam Alexander Duncan, only son of Captain the Honourable Sir Henry Duncan, who was the second son of Viscount Duncan, the hero of Camperdown.* On Mr Duncan's suc- * Mrs B. Morison inherited from her mother the estates of Drura- mie and Boglea. She sold th-e former, and purchased Nydie, which she bequeathed to Major Bethune, of the family of Bethune of Blebo. She left the estate of Boglea to James Walker Bethune Morison, of IV.] HISTORY OT FAMILIES. 283 cession in 1850, he assumed the additional name of Morison. He died in 1855, when the estate went to his daughter, Catherine Henrietta Adamina Duncan Morison.* The ancient barony of IN'aughton, having been till 1650 in the parish of Forgan (as has been already stated), formed no part of the Abbey property : — Cathills, Kilburns, Scroggieside, Scurr, North Kirkton, Docheron, Bangove, Pitmossie, Easter Grange, &c., being comparatively recent additions to Naughton ; but all the estates of whose pro- prietors an account is given in the remaining chapters, were Abbey lands ; and their separate history begins about the- time of the Reformation,. CHAPTEE IT. THE LAIEDS OF BALMEEINO: "Let History tell, where rival kings command,- And dubious title shakes the madded land, When statutes glean the refuse of the sword, How much more safe the vassal than the lord; Low sculks the hind beneath the rage of power, And leaves the wealthy traitor in the Tower, Untouched his cottage, and his slumbers sound, Though Confiscation's vultures hover round." Johnson. § 1. THE ELPHINSTONES, BARONS BALMERINO. Sir James Elphinstone, parson of Innernochtie, was the third Fawfield. Mrs Morison left, besides, a sum of about L.45,000 to various connexions and friends, t See Appendix, No. XXIV., § 6 ; and No. XXV., § 2. 284 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART son of the tMrd Lord Elphinstone,* He spent mucli of his youth in France. In 1586 he was appointed a Lord of (Session, by the designation of Lord Innernochtie, and in 1595 one of the eight Commissioners of the Treasury called, from their number, Octavians. In 1598 he was made Secretary of State, and the Abbacy of Balmerino was erected into a temporal lordship in his favour in 1603-4, as has been already stated,t In the same year he was nominated one of the Scottish Commissioners to treat of a Union then pro- jected with England; and in 1605 was raised to the Presi- dency of the Court of Session. So high was the King's opinion of him, that he intended to make him English Secretary of State, when his career of preferment was suddenly stojDped by the following circumstance. In 1599 Lord Balmerino's cousin, Sir Edward Drummond, having mentioned to him that it would be easy to procure a Cardinal's hat for their mutual kinsman Chisholm,:j: bishop of Yaison, by obtaining a letter from King James to the Pope, to request the promotion of a Scotsman to the Cardinalate, in order that he might manage the correspon- dence betwixt the Courts of Eome and Edinburgh, Balmerino made this proposal to His Majesty, who, however, dechned it. But his lordship took the unjustifiable step of drawing up a letter to the Pope in the King's name, requesting the favour he desired, and concluding with expressions of high regard for his Holiness and the Catholic religion. This letter he contrived to shuffle in amongst other papers lying for the signature of the King, who signed it in ignorance of its contents ; and it was despatched to Rome. A copy of it having been sent from Italy to Queen Elizabeth by the * These notices of the Balmerino family are compiled from "Wood's Ed. of Douglas's Peerage, Wood's Hist, of Cramond Parish, Calder- wood, Row, and other historians of the period. t See page 14L J Some authors call him Drummond. IV.] HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 285 Master of Gray, who acted there as her spy, she reproached King James with conduct so unworthy of a Protestant prince : but he professed to know nothing of it, and declared it to be a forgery of his enemies. Lord Balmerino also denied all knowledge of it, and the affair soon seemed to be forgotten. But King James having, a few years after his accession to the English throne, written a book against the Pope and Cardinal Bellarmine, the latter taunted His Majesty with having abandoned his former favourable opinion of the Eoman Catholic religion, as expressed in his letter to the Pope. The King now saw that the matter could not be passed over without inquiry, and sent for Balmerino, without telling him the reason. His lordship arrived at Eoyston, where the court then wafe, in October 1608, and, when examined, confessed the whole affair, but declared his only motive had been to pave the way for James's accession to the English throne, by an act which would gratify the Eoman Catholics. The English Privy Council, however, took a different view of the matter, and even imputed the Gunpowder Plot to the rage of the Papists on their finding the hopes frustrated, which this letter inspired. But according to Lord Balmerino's own account of this affair, as given in a narrative written by him, King James was not averse to a correspondence with the Pope, but only scrupled to concede his apostolical titles, which were after- wards prefixed to a letter presented with despatches for different Cardinals, and subscribed without hesitation by the King. And when public attention was directed to the matter, Balmerino was induced, by promises of his life and estates, to conceal some circumstances of the transaction, and to falsify others, so as to draw a veil over his master's conduct. Thus he suffered for what many believed to have been as much the King's act as his own. Being sent to Scotland under guard, when he arrived at Berwick he was heard to say, " I wish I had been made a 286 BALMEEINO AXD ITS ABBEY. [PART sheep keeper when I was made a scholar." He was im- prisoned at Falkland, and being afterwards tried in the town- hall of St Andrews, was found guilty of treason. The ELing confii'med the sentence, and on the 1st of March 1609, he was condemned to be beheaded as a traitor. The same day he was conveyed to Falkland, but was still allowed to carry his sword. The capital sentence was, however, not executed ; and in October 1609, there was granted to him liberty of free ward in Falkland, and one mile round it, on his finding security in the sum of <£-iO,000 not to transgress these bounds. In 1610 he received warrant under the King's hand, giving him full assurance of his life, and was allowed to retire to his own houses — or what had. been such — in Angus and at Bal- merino, at which latter place he died in 1612* "of a fever and waicknes in his stomache," according to Sir James Balfour of Denmiln; or, according to others, of a broken heart, or something worse. " With age, with cares, with maladies oppressed. He seeks the refuge of monastic rest. Grief aids disease, remembered folly stings, And his last sighs reproach the faith of kings."+ * Calderwood says that Lord Balmerino died about the end of May. But a stone, taken from Balmerino, and now built into the wall of a house in the village of Gauldry, probably records his death as having taken place on the 21st of June. This stone, which is beautifully carved, but now much injured, bears on its upper part a helmet, having round it a motto, of which the only letters that are legible are the first and last — "EX OVA." The lower part of the stone appears to have contained a shield, on the right side of which are the letters " L. — I. B." (which may stand for Lord James Balmerino), and on the left side — "21 June 1612." We may add that we know of no other person of eminence belonging to the Parish, or whose name had these initials, who died about that time. This stone (which is only about a foot square), or a larger one of which it formed a part, was probablj placed over Lord Balmerino's grave, the site of which is, however, now unknown. t " Sir John Scot of Scotstarvit, with his accustomed malignity, IV.] HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 287 Lord Balmerino was undoubtedly the ablest Scottish statesman of his time. Spottiswoode characterizes him, however, as one " that made small conscience of his doings, and measured all things by the gain he made by them. The possessions he acquired of the Church kept him still an enemy to it, for he feared a restitution should be made of those livings, if ever the clergy did attain unto credit'* James Melville, in his Diary, calls him the " King's special agent against the ministers." He acquired extensive pro- perty in several counties, and was patron of no fewer than twenty-three churches. In October 1609, Sm Alexander Drummond of Meidhope, one of the Senators of the College of Justice, and a relative of Lord Balmerino, received a gift, under the Privy Seal, of the liferent escheat and forfeiture of his lordship, which gift was confirmed in September 1612. In June 1613, we find Sir Alexander, as feudal superior, granting a charter to Eobert Auchmouty of certain lands in the parish of Balmerino. John, second Lord Balmerino, eldest son of the first Lord, was restored in blood and to the peerage in August 1613, his father having died under attainder. In September 1614, he obtained from King James a charter under the Great Seal, conferring upon him a new gift of his father's estates, and proceeding upon the resignation of Six Alex- ander Drummond. Lord Balmerino became distinguished by his opposition to the measures of the government. In 1633, Charles II being then in Scotland, some members of Parliament resolved to present to His Majesty a petition for redress of grievances ; says that his lordship's death was occasioned hy an amatorious potion of cantharides, administered by a maid in his house, called Young, afterwards married to Dr Honeyman ; but others, with a higher degree of charity, attribute it to his taking to heart the great disgrace and ignominy under which he was lying." — (Wood's " History of the Parish of Cramond," p. 270.) 288 BALMERIXO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART especially against two Acts, one extending the King's pre- rogative over causes spiritual as well as temporal, and the other ratifying the Episcopal government and worship of the Church. Being desirous, however, that the King should be made acquainted with the petition before it was formally presented, the subscribers entrusted it to the Earl of Eothes, who showed it to His Majesty. Having read the petition, the King restored it to Eothes, saying — in the true spirit of the Stuarts — "Xo more of this, my Lord, I command you ; " whereupon the matter was allowed to rest. Sometime after this. Lord Balmerino, who had drawn up the petition, and had kept a copy of it, happened to show it, in course- of conversation on the corruptions of Church and State, to John Denmure, a writer in Dundee, and his own confidential agent, while the latter was on a visit to his lordship in his house of Barnton. Contrary to Balmerino's injunctions, and "without his knowledge, Denmure took a copy of the document, and carried it home with him.* *'The said Mr John (says Bishop Guthrie in his 'Memoirs') happening, in his journey homeward, to lodge hi the house of Mr Peter Hay of ISJ'achton [author of the 'Vision of Balaams Asse,' &c.], fell to speak with him upon that subject, and to reckon up the corruptions of the times, whereupon IS'achton replied. Where have ye learned, jVIr John, to speak so well in State affairs 1 Doubtless you have been with your patron Balmarinoch ; To whom Mr John answered, You have guessed it ; Balmarinoch is indeed my informer, and, moreover, showed me a petition, whereby he and his associates intended to have complained to the King, but he would not hear it ; and I have in my pocket a copy of the petition. Kachton, carrying no good will to Balmarinoch, * There are several versions of this event in the histories of the period. IV.] HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 289 and withal being very Episcopal, found the way to get the petition from Mr John, and, some days after he was gone, went to the Archbishop of St Andrews, and delivered the copy to him, with an account of the discourse w^hich had passed betwixt Mr John and him in reference thereunto. Whereupon the Archbishop found himself obliged to acquaint the King therewith." Burnet says that the Archbishop, who appears to have imagined that the petition was going about for subscription, "began his journey to London, as he often did, on a Sunday, which was a very serious thing in that country." In consequence of this affair, Lord Balmerino was examined before the Privy Council in June 1634, and was confined in Edinburgh Castle till the 30th of March 1635, when he was tried by a jury, and, being convicted by a majority of only one, had sentence of death pronounced upon him. A great effect was produced on the minds of the jurymen by the speech of one of them, Gordon of Buckie, then an old man, who, forty years before, had been concerned in the death of the Earl of Moray. " He besought them to consider that the life of a fellow-creature was at stake, and, with tears streaming down his aged countenance, warned them, from his own melancholy experience, that if, contrary to conscience, they condemned the pannel, they might, as he had done, obtain the pardon of their sovereign, but they would find how difficult it was to procure the pardon of God."* Lord Balmerino's cause was now warmly espoused by the people, who threatened either to rescue him, or to put to death the judges and jurors who had condemned him, and to burn their houses. The King reluctantly yielded to these menaces, and, after an imprisonment of more than thirteen months, Lord Balmerino was, on the 16th of July, set at liberty to the extent of being confined only to Balmerino, and six • Cook's Hist, of the Church of Scotland, II., 352. T 290 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART miles around it. In November following, lie obtained entii'e freedom. This unjustifiable prosecution was ruinous to the King's interest in Scotland, and had the effect of uniting most of the nobility against him.* After this, his Lordship continued to oppose the measures of the Court, and became the leader of the Church party, or Covenanters. For this course Charles I. in his " Large De- claration " upbraided him severely, recounting the many favours he and his father had received from His Majesty and King James. Balmerino also supported the Covenanters liberally with money, to the great injury of his own fortunes. To give a full account of his career would be to transcribe much of the history of that exciting period. It may be mentioned, however, that he was one of those who got up the opposition which the King's attempt to introduce Laud's Service Book met with in 16.37, when that famous heroine, Janet Geddes, threw her stool at the head of the officiating clergyman, thus commencing the train of events which cul- minated in the execution of Charles I. The Covenant of 1638 bears the signature of Balmerino. He was very popular in Edinbui-gh, and continued to lead the Church party till his death. He was, of course, equally unpopular ■with the opposite party. In a satire written in the form of a Litany, ascribed to Thomas Forrester (who had been Episcopal JSIinister at Melrose, but had been deposed a short time previous to its composition), and relating to public affairs in 1638-9, the following lines occur : — "From all who swear themselves meisworu, From Louthian, Loudone, Lindsay, Lome, Princes Rothes and Balmerino, And devoute Lordlings many moe — Who lead the dance and rule the roast, * Pitcairn, in his "Criminal Trials," gives a full account of this affair ; as, indeed, most of the historians of the period do. IV.] HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 291 And forceth us to make the cost. From such mad freaks of Catharus Almighty God deliver us."* lu 1641 Lord Balmeriuo was chosen President of Parlia- ment, and he received many dignities besides. It is told to his credit, that, suspecting his father had made a too advan- tageous purchase of* the lands of Balumby in Forfarshire, he, of his own accord, gave 10,000 merks to the heir of that estate, by way of composition. The principal country residence of the Balmerino family at this time appears to have been at Barnton, in the parish of Cramond. Their town residence was a house in Leith, east of Coatfield Lane, in the Kirkgate, which the second Lord acquired from the Earl of Carrick in 1643, and which con- tinued to be occupied by the family till the attainder of the last Lord. This house is still in existence, presenting a handsome front to the south ; but it is now occupied by the poorest class of tenants. Lord Balmerino died of apoplexy on the 1st of March 1649, at three o'clock in the morning, after having supped with the Marquis of Argyle. He was buried in the old church of Restalrig, but his remains were disinterred in the following year by Cromwell's soldiers, while they were searching for leaden coffins as material for making bullets, and thrown into the streets. His name is included amongst AYalpole's " Eoyal and oS'oble Authors," Lord Balmerino's speech on the army, describing their conspiracy, having been published in 1642, in quarto. The Denmiln MS. contains the following verses to his memory : — "Here layes Balmerinoch, and may his fate Bring tears -without a presage to the staite, Quher he the day-star was ; his course is rune, And now he sets, alas ! after our sune ; * Wade's History of Melrose Abbey, p. 370. 292 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART O ! episicle strange. Phosphor our light Led one, and turns the hesper of our night." The Abbacy of Balmerino was not tbe only Churcli pro- perty conferred on the fortunate family of the Elphinstones. In 1607 the lands of the Cistercian Abbey of Cupar (Angus), previously held by Lord Burghley, were erected into a tem- poral lordship in favour of James Elphinstone, younger son of the first Lord Balmerino, who accordingly took his seat in Parhament as Lord Coupar. On the death of his brother, the second Lord Balmerino, Lord Coupar was appointed to an extraordinary Lordship of Session which the former had held, a dignity which his own talents seem scarcely to have merited. Sir James Balfour of Denmiln thus gives his opinion of the appointment. " The Lord Balmerinoch's extraordinary place of the Sessione, they have bestowed it one his brother, the Lord Couper, quhouse head will not fill his brother's hate." The Denmiln MS. contains the following epigram on him : — "Fy upon death! He's worse than a trouper, That took from us Balmerinoch, And left that howlit Couper." Lord Coupar, however, held several offices of importance. He was fined £3000 Scots by Cromwell in 1654 ; and after the Restoration, he was fined £4,800 Scots for nun-conform- ity to Episcopacy. He died without issue in 1669, when his estates and honours devolved upon Lord Balmerino. John, third Lord Balmerino, and son of the second Lord, on his succession found that, by his father's liberahty to the Covenanters, his means were greatly curtailed; and a htiga- tion with his cousin the Countess of Bedford respecting his uncle Lord Coupar' s inheritance, together with other law- suits, rendered him still poorer, so that he was obliged to IV.] HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 293 sell much, of his property. For non-conformity to Episcopacy he was fined, in 1662, £6000 Scots. Yet he had in 1650 received Charles II at his mansion in Leith, when the King landed there. He died in 1704, aged 82, and was buried at Restalrig. JoHX. fourth Lord Balmerixo, was in his fifty-second year when he succeeded his father. He also was very poor, but he filled several ofiices of distinction. Inl710andl713 he was elected one of the sixteen Eepresentative Peers for Scot- land. He had strenuously opposed the Union with England. Like his fathers, he was at length involved in misfortune. On the accession of George I. he was removed from all his offices, and was no longer returned to Parliament. He nevertheless continued faithful to the House of Hanover during the rebellion of 1715. The rest of his days were spent in retirement, and he died at his house in Leith in 1736, and was buried at Eestalrig. He was succeeded by his eldest surviving son. In 1730 Alexander Elphinstone, fourth son of the fourth Lord Balmerino, challenged a Lieut. Swift to fight a duel, which took place on the Links of Leith. Swift was wounded, and soon afterwards died in consequence. Elphinstone was indicted for tliis, but the charge seems to have been eventu- ally abandoned. James, fifth Lord Balmerixo, being a younger son, and having at first no hope of succeeding to the family estates, applied himself to the study of the law, was called to the bar in 1703, and had a large practice. In 1714 he was raised to the bench, and took his seat as Lord Coupar. After his accession to the title of Lord Balmerino by his father's death in 1736 — his eldest brother Hugh having been killed at the siege of Lisle in 1708 — he continued to occupy his place as a judge, in which he gave the greatest satisfaction, and died at Leith on the 5th of January 1746, without issue. 294 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART Arthur, sixth and last Lord Balmerixo, was born in 1688. Having entered the arm}" during the reign of Queen Anne, he held a captain's commission. On the accession of George I., though his father continued in his allegiance, Ar- thur resigned his commission, joined the Earl of Mar, but bringing none vrith liim except his own servants ; and was engaged at the battle of Sheriffmuir. Having made his escape to France, he entered the French service, in which he continued till the death of his younger brother Alexander in 1733, when his father, being desirous that his son should return to Scotland, obtained his pardon. Of this, however, he did not avail himself till he had asked the Chevalier's consent, who not only granted it, but also supplied him with money for his journey homewards. He arrived in Scotland in 1735 after twenty years' absence. In 1745 he joined the Pretender at Holyrood,* after the battle of Prestonpans, and * It was, apparently, just before taking this step that he was in hiding for six weeks in a house at Balmerino. which was occupied by a respectable old woman named Christian Berry, widow of John Boyter, whose descendants are still living in the Parish. This house, to which a brew- stead was attached, stood west from the present farm-house, and was demolished only a few years ago. Lord Balmerino (then the Hon. Arthur Elphinstone) lived in the " best room " of the house, and was considered by his hostess as one very easily pleased with such attendance as she could give. He staked out the site of a new house, which he promised to build for her if events should go well with him, and which (he said) should be the best house in the place after his own. Her son accompanied him on his departure, and was with him at CuUoden as his servant. When Lord Balmerino was afterwards condemned to death. Christian Berry had thoughts of going all the way to London to beg his pardon from the King, but rightly judged that such a step on her part would be of no avail. It may be here mentioned that Lord Balmerino had a honse (which is still standing) in "Balmerino place," Cupar-Fife. A sheriff- officer in that town was imprisoned six months for being a witness to his Lordship proclaiming the Pretender at the Cross of Cupar. lY.] HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 295 served throughout the campaign as Colonel of the second troop of Life Guards. In January 1746 he succeeded to the title of Balnierino, hy the death of his half-brother, the fifth Lord. At the battle of Culloden, which was fought on the 1 6th of April following, he was taken prisoner, though it is said he might have made his escape four days after. At his trial he employed no counsel, and disdained to sue for pardon. Being found guilty, he was condemned to death, along with the Earls of Mar and Cromarty, on the 1st of August 1746. Cromarty was pardoned, but the other two were beheaded on Towerhill on the 1 8th of August of that year. Balmerino displayed great firmness at the closing scene. At a parting interview with Kilmarnock, before their removal to the place of execution, he said to that nobleman, " My dear Lord, I wish I could alone pay the reckoning, and suffer for us both." During the execution of Ealmarnock, Lord Balmerino, being kept in an apartment near the scaffold, conversed freely with his friends, twice refreshed himself with a bit of bread and a glass of wine, and desired the com- pany to drink to him "ane degree ta haiven." He also prayed frequently, and appeared ready and willing to die. Upon the sheriff's coming into the apartment, he said, " I suppose Kilmarnock is no more ; " and having asked how the executioner performed his duty, upon receiving the account, added, " Then it was well done, and now, gentlemen, I will detain you no longer, for I desire not to protract my life." Having saluted the company in such a manner as drew tears from every eye, he proceeded to the scaffold. His last moments are thus graphically described by Dr Eobert Chambers, in his " History of the EebeUion : " — "The appearance of Balmerino upon this fatal stage produced a very different sensation among the spectators from that occasioned by Kilmarnock. His firm step, his bold bluff figure, and, above all, his dress, the same regimental suit of blue, turned up with red, which he had worn throughout 296 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART the late campaign,* excited breathless admiration rather than any emotion of pity, and made the crowd regard him as a being of a superior nature. Walking round the scaffold, he bowed to the people, and inspected the inscription on the coffin, which he declared to be correct. He also asked which was his hearse, and ordered the man to drive near. Then looking with an air of satisfaction on the block, which he designated as his ' pillow of rest,' he took out a paper, and putting on his spectacles, read it to the few about him. It contained a declaration of his unshaken adherence to the house of Stewart, and of his regret for ever having served in the armies of his enemies, Queen Anne, and George I., which he considered the only faults of his life deserving his present fate. Finally, he called for the executioner, who imme- diately appeared, and was about to ask his forgiveness, when Balmerino stopped him by saying, * Friend, you need not ask forgiveness ; the execution of your duty is commendable.* Presenting him with three guineas, he added, 'Friend, I never had much money : this is all T now have. I wish it was more for your sake, and I am sorry I can add nothing to it, but my coat and waistcoat.' He took off these gar- ments, and laid them upon his coffin for the executioner. In his immediate preparation for death, this singular man displayed the same wonderful degree of coolness and intre- pidity. Having put on a flannel vest which had been made on purpose, with a cap of tartan, to denote, he said, that he died a Scotsman, he went to the block, and kneeling down, went through a sort of rehearsal of the execution for the in- struction of the executioner, showing him how he should give the blow by dropping his arms. He then returned to his friends, took a tender flirewell, and looking round upon the crowd, said, ' I am afraid there are some who may think my behaviour bold, but (addressing a gentleman near him) • Kilmarnock had been dressed in black. IV.] HISTORY OP FAMILIES. 297 remember, Sir, what I tell you : it arises from a confidence in God, and a clear conscience.' At this moment he observed the executioner with the axe, and going up to him, he took the fatal weapon into his own hand, and felt its edge. On returning it, he showed the man where to strike his neck, and animated him to do it with vigour and resolution, adding, 'for in that, friend, will consist your mercy.' With a coun- tenance of the utmost cheerfulness, he then knelt down at the block, and uttering the following words, '0 Lord! reward my friends, forgive my enemies, bless [and restore the King, preserve] the Prince and the Duke, and receive my soul,' dropped his arms for the blow." The house in front of which the scaffold was erected still exists, marked as No. 14, Tower Hill. The mutilated bodies of the two Lords, after being deposited in their respective cofiBns, are said to have been brought back into the house, and in proof of this, a trail of blood is still visible along the hall, and up the first flight of stairs. There is a contempo- rary print of the execution, representing the scaffold as sur- rounded by a wide square of dragoons, beyond which are great multitudes of people, many of them seated in wooden galleries. The decapitated Lords were respectfully buried in St Peter's Chapel within the Tower. Their coffin plates, as well as that of Lord Lovat, who was executed in 1747, are still (1866) shown there. Lord Balmerino's plate bears, " Arthurus Dominus de Balmerino decollatus 1 8" Augusti 1746, Aetatis Suae 58," with a baron's coronet. Lord Campbell observes, in his "Lives of the Chancellors," that from Lord Balmerino Sir "Walter Scott took tlie exit of Fergus M'lvor.* Lord Balmerino married Margaret Chalmers, a daughter of Captain Chalmers at Leith, who survived till the 26th of August 1765. The following letter was written by her to * Chambers's " Book of Days," H., p. 233 298 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART her sister Mrs Borthwick the day after her husband's exe- cution : — "Dear Sister — This comes from a soer heart. Yesterday my dear lord Balmerino and lord Kilmarnock was beheaded, after which they war buried in the Tower. After that my lord Balmerino 's friends came to me, and told me that my greif was very jost, for that day I was the widow to the greatest man on earth, for which it gives me grat eias^[ease] to hear he dyed with so much coruge. I am to go from thas to the owther end of the Tower, hiveing no mo .... . . day near the Tower. I shall let you when I go thear. I have found .... thear your biasing to all frinds. I am [your] soerful sister, Margaret Balmer [ino] "London, August 19th, 1746*." Thus perished the last heir-male of a family which had experienced so many vicissitudes, three of the six persons who held the title of Lord Balmerino having been condemned to death, though only in the case of the last of them was the sentence carried into execution. The sixth Lord Balmerino's mother was the daughter of Dr Arthur Boss, the last Archbishop of St Andrews ; and that nobleman himself was an Episcopalian. "Arthur Lord Balmerinoch, his grandson and nameson (wrote a venerable Jacobite lady, a descendant of the Archbishop, to the late Eev. C. J. Lyon of St Andrews), had undertaken to be the biographer of his Grace, and had collected all the best materials for the purpose, viz. : — letters from the Prince of Orange, from the King of Fmnce, from Prince James, the Bishops of England and Ireland ; in short, all the great names of the day ; and was busied with a talented scholar at this work, when the ill-fated hero of Culloden cast him- * "Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland," vol. IV., p. 296. IV. J HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 299 self into Scotland So very deeply was the loss of Arthur of Balmerinoch felt by the whole connexion — for he was truly amiable — that the half-finished work was hushed up in the awful and almost unjust catastrophe which severed his warm heart from our widely-lamenting family ; and thus his very purpose was quenched in his blood, and was a subject never touched on, unless mentioned as one of his last employments by those now passed from this life themselves, but whom I remember to have seen drink to his memory on the anniversary of his birth-day, with much affectionate respect." * § 2. THE EARLS OF MOEAY, AKD STUARTS OF BALMERIXO. In the Xew Statistical Account it is stated that the estate of Lord Balmerino in this Parish passed, after its forfeiture to the Crown, into the hands of the York Buildings Company, from which it was afterwards purchased by the Earl of Moray. The first portion of this statement is, however, erroneous. The York Buildings Company, which was in- corporated by royal charter in 1690, for the purpose of raising the water in York Buildings to supply the inhabitants of London, had, it is true, its objects extended in 1719, and its capital increased, for the purchase of the forfeited estates, and for granting annuities and life assurances. But in 1732 the Company was declared insolvent, and its estates were given over to trustees for behoof of annuitants, who held them till 1764, when they were exposed to sale at Edinburgh, and were purchased by most of the disinherited families. It is not probable that the estates forfeited in 1746 were * Lvon's History of St Andrews, vol. II., p. 113. See also Ap- pendix, No. XXIV, § 12. 300 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART acquired by the Company. It is at least certain that the estate of Balnierino was held by the Barons of Exchequer till 1755, when it was purchased by James, seventh Earl of ISIoray, nephew of the two last Lords Balmerino. The purchase money was £2330.* The Earls of Moray are descended, in two distinct lines, from the royal house of Stewart. James Stewart, Prior of St Andrews, who acted a conspicuous part in the Scottish Reformation, and was afterwards Regent of Scotland (called "The Good Regent ")— being a natural son of James V, and half-brother of Queen Mary — was created Earl of Murray in 156 1-2. f Dying without male issue, he was succeeded by his daughter Elizabeth. She married Sir James Stewart, second Lord Down, who, in right of his wife, assumed the title of Earl of Murray, and was the subject of the old ballad, "The Bonny Earl of Murray." Their son obtained a new grant of the earldom to himself and his heirs-male. Through his father he was also lineally descended from King Robert IL He was the ancestor' of the subsequent Earls of Moray — as the name is now spelt. James, the seventh Earl, died in 1767, and Francis, the eighth Earl, in 1810, when the estate of Balmerino went to the second surviving son of the latter — the Honourable Archibald Stuart. On his death in 1832, he was succeeded by his eldest son, Francis Archibald Stuart, the present proprietor of Balmerino. t //«. cLf^^Ji;^f /A,/^}^''^^'^'^'^ * The Abbey lands of Cupar (Angus), now possessed by Mr Stuart of Balmerino, were probably acquired by Lord Moray at the same time as the estate of Balmerino. f The earldom of Murray had previously been held by Randolph, nephew of Robert Bruce, and his descendants, and also by a son of James IV, but had afterwards reverted to the Crown. X See Appendix, No. XXIV. § 13; and No. XXV. § I. h IV.] HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 301 CHAPTEE III. THE CEICHTONS OF BOTTOMCRAIG. *' Saddled and bridled And booted rade he ; Toom* hame cam the saddle, But never cam he !" Ballad of " Bonxie George Campbell." Thomas Crichton, a younger son of James Cricliton of Cranston-Eiddel, acquired, probably before the year 1614, the third-part lands of Bottomcraig ; and in 1617 he acquired the two-part lands of Bottomcraig and Drumcharry, together with other ei^ht acres in Bottomcraig, and the west half of Boghall and yard thereof. Crichton did not long enjoy his property. There is a tradition stiU current in the Parish that he had a feud with the Laird of Kirkton (whose name, though not preserved by tradition, must have been George Eamsay, who then possessed Kirkton), and that, as he was one day travelling on horseback to Cupar, the Laird of Kirkton happened to be returning in the opposite direction towards Balmerino, and they encountered each other near Myre-Cairney. Crichton's servant had been the first to recognize the enemy, but he could not persuade his master to get out of his way. While yet at some distance from each other, the two Lairds drew their swords, and, spurring on their horses, commenced a fierce combat, in which Crichton was slain. The Laird of Kirkton, hastening home, slept that night, it is said, in his cattle-yard, and was never more heard of; having, doubtless, * Empty. 302 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART fled for his life.* This tradition was rather curiously illus- trated by the discovery, in 1 840, of an old tombstone in the Parish Church of Cupar. Whilst some alterations were being made in the interior of that edifice, part of the floor was taken up, and a large slab, when raised, was found to be richly carved on the side which had been turned down. On being cleaned and examined, it was found to be Crichton's tombstone ; the inscription around the stone being as follows : — " Heir lyes bvried ane honourable man, Thomas Crichtone of Bodamcraig, sone to vmvhail Ihames Chrichtone of Chranstone-riddell, who decessed the 3rd day t of February, the year of God 1619, being aged 44 years." The stone has also Crichton's arms emblazoned on the centre, and those of four families on the father's, and four on the mother's side, around the stone, showing his claim, in the language of the heralds, to have been a gentleman of four descents. t This stone is at present standing against the east gable of Cupar Parish Church. The fact of Crichton's being interred there is, no doubt, to be ascribed to his having been killed in the vicinity of Cupar. The accusation brought against Mr Thomas Douglas, minister of Balmerino, of having been accessory to this murder has been already noticed. § Thomas Crichton's wife, Jean Canneolie, or Carmelie — as her name is sometimes written — possessed the barony of Gairdin in Forfarshire. She did not long survive her husband, and their daughter Elizabeth was served heir- * The house in which Ramsay is said to have lived — a white two- storied house — at Upper, or South Kirkton, was standing about 60 years ago. t Pitcairn (" Criminal Trials ") gives it as the 13th of February. X Swan and Leighion's " Fife illustrated." The arms are partly obliterated, biit on the right side of the stone may be deciphered those of Crichton and Corstorphine; and on the left, those of Scott of Buccleugh, Bethune of Creicli, Horsbrugh, and Hay of Errol. The arms of Crichton of Cranston are in the centre. § See page 183. » IV.] HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 303 general to both her parents on the 9th of October 1619. The latter also dying soon afterwards, her uncle, Sir James Crichton, Bart., was served heir-general to her on the 1st of March 1620, and about the same time he got sasine of the lands in which his brother Thomas had died infeft. The barony of Gairdin went to Margaret Canneolie, sister of Thomas Crich ton's wife, married to Sir John Scott of New- burgh, who was served heir to that property on the 20th of May 1620. Sir James Crichton kept possession of his brother's lands only for a few years.* The House of Bottomcraig was built by Thomas Crichton, or, as some say, by him and his brother, but was scarcely finished before the death of the former. It is doubtful whether Sir James ever inhabited it, though tradition asserts that he did for a short time. It was, no doubt, more or less used as a residence by the subsequent Lairds of Bottomcraig down to 1 682. In that year Lord Balmerino gave this house, with garden and lands adjoining — to the extent of from eight to nine acres Scotch — for a Manse and glebe to the minister, in exchange for the former Manse and glebe at Balmerino; and they continued to be so used till 1815. The house was one of three stories, and the garden was surrounded with a good wall They were situated in that part of the present arable glebe still called the Old Manse Park. The Manse, offices, and garden wall underwent extensive repairs in 1756, and again in 1774. The old picture in Xaughton House, whicli repre- sents the front view of the Castle of Xaughton as it stood in 1760, contains also a view of the old Manse. The date of its original erection — 1618 — and the initials either of the two brothers Crichton, or, more probably, those of Thomas Crichton and his wife — T. I. C. — are still to be seen on a stone which formed the apex of one of the storm windows in its roof, and which was inserted in the back wall of * Thomson's Abbreviate of Ketours. Balmerino Writs. 304 BALMERINO AXD ITS ABBEY. [PART the present Manse offices, -when they were erected in 1815.* CHAPTER IV. THE STAEKS OF BALLimDEAKf " Blest he, -vrho dwells secure Where man, by nature fierce, has laid aside His fierceness, having learnt, though slow to learn, The manners and the arts of civil life." COWPEB. The Stares of Ballindean are, according to the tradition of the family, descended from the Eobertsons of Struan, chiefs of the Clan Duncan or Eobertson. Alexander Duncan of Struan, who died in 1506, was the first who assumed the name of Robertson, the family name having been previously Duncan. Paul Eobertson, a younger son of this chief, having rashly taken part in some feuds then raging be- tween his family and the Earl of Athol, and having been guilty of manslaughter — an occurrence by no means rare in those turbulent times — fled to the Lowlands, and, for greater security, changed his name to Paul Stirk, or Stark, as it afterwards came to be spelt. He settled in the county of Fife, between which and Eannoch there was in those days little or no intercourse. In 1532 we find Alison Eamsay, relict of Andrew Jackson, * See Appendix, No. XXIV, § 15. + The following account of the Starks is compiled from family papers in the possession of Thomas Stark Christie, Esq. of BaUin- dean. IV.] HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 305 Paul Stirk, Marion Jackson his spouse, with their sub- tenants, obtaining from the Abbot and Convent of Balmerino a joint-tack of the lands of Ballindean (then extending to 12 acres arable), 3 acres of Doclierone, and 2 acres of Boddam- craig, for 19 years; which tack was renewed to Paul Stirk, his wife, and sons in 1539. In the same year they acquired from the Abbot and Convent a feu-charter of these lands, which charter was ratified by the Penitentiary of Pope Paul III. in 1540. The property thus acquired, with considerable additions made to it from time to time (including the adjoin- ing property of ]N'ewbigging, situated in the parish of Kil- many), has been possessed by the family down to the present day, with, perhaps, an exception of three years in the early part of the seventeenth century. In confirmation of the tradition that Paul Stirk's name was originally Pobertson, it may be mentioned that Alexander Eobertson, Laird of Struan, who acquired some reputation in his day as a poet, and died in 1745, was in the habit of coming down to Fife, to visit the Laird of Ballindean as his re- lation ; and that John Stark Eobertson of Ballindean (noticed below) had in his possession the brace of long pistols and broadsword which were employed by his ancestor, Paul Robert- son, in his unfortunate encounter. They had, down to that time, been carefully preserved as relics in the family, and transmitted from father to son. In 1569 Paul Stirk resigned his lands in favour of his eldest son George, reserving his own liferent. In 1607 George Stirk resigned his lands in favour of David Beattie in Karsmyre, who in 1610 again resigned them in favour of George, son of the preceding George Stirk. In 1644 George Stirk, the third Laird of that name, was infeft in the property as heir to his father George, and in 1674 he resigned his lands in favour of his second son Thomas, his eldest son having died previously. In 1686 Thomas Stark resigned his property in favour of his eldest son John, who u 306 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART became minister of Logie-Murdocli in 1700, and, dying in 1748, was succeeded in the property by Lis eldest son Thomas, minister of Balmerino. On his death in 1772, Thomas Stark v/as succeeded by his eldest son John, both as Laird of Ballindean and minister of Balmerino.* John Stark, having demitted his cure in 1781, soon after- wards removed to Bath, where, having assumed the name of John Stark Robertson, and obtained the degree of Doctor of jSIedicine, he practised as a physician. In 1790 he married Susannah, only daughter of Major- General Reid, who, by his will, left a large sum of money for the endowment of a Professorship of Music, and other objects, in the University of Edinburgh. The capital sum of this splendid bequest had in the year 1855 grown to £61,401. Dr John Stark Robertson, having died about the year 1810, without issue, was succeeded in the possession of Ballindean, Xewbigging, &c., by his widow, who usually lived in Paris, and died there in 1838. The projDerty then passed to three co-heiresses, daughters of James Stark of Kingsdale, next younger brother of Dr John Stark Robertson. These ladies afterwards be- came heiress-portioners of Teasses also, by the death of their cousin, Thomas Stark of Teasses. The eldest, Miss Mary Butler Stark, having married Robert Christie, of the family of Christie of Durie, (who assumed the name of Robert Stark Christie), the co-heiresses disponed their lands of Ballindean, !N^ewbigging, and their pertinents, to Trustees under that marriage contract ; and on Mrs Robert Stark Christie's death in 1861, the lands at Bottomcraig went to her eldest son, James Henry Robertson Stark Christie^ now of Teasses, who sold them in 1864 to Miss Morison of Kaughton ; while the lands of Ballindean and Xewbigging passed to her youngest son, Thomas Stark Christie, the present proprietor ; whose family has thus been connected * See pp. 211-24:4. IV.] ' HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 307 with the Parish of Balraerino for a longer period than any now resident in it, so far as can be traced.* CHAPTER V, THE BALFOUES OF GRANGE. " As for this cardinal, I grant He was the man we might well want, God will forgive it soon : But of a truth, the sooth to say, Although the loon be well away. The fact was foully done." Sir David Likdsat of the Mount. The '' Grange of Balraerino " denoted the farra-buildings to which the produce required for the use of the monastery was brought, and from which most of the Abbey lands forming the southern division of the Parish, and including, appar- ently, Ballindean, were cultivated before the Reformation. "When that event drew near, these, like most of the other lands of the Abbey, were feued to the tenants who held them, and to others. Soon after the Reformation, we meet with notices of the New Grange, which was beside the pre- sent farmhouse of that name ; the site of the Old Grange being unknown. "We have seen that as early as 1539 the lands of Ballindeau had been feued to Paul Stirk. It has been already stated that a family of Ramsats possessed, in the latter portion, if not in the middle, of the sixteenth century, the eastern half of the remaining lands of Newgrange, including the half of Cleikumscleuch (or * See Appendix, Ko. XXIV., § 16 ; and No. XXV., § 3. 308 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART Clerkannyscleuch), of Battlelaw, of Outfields of Byres, and other portions. These lands were successively held by David Hamsay, who died before 1572, and by his son James Eamsay of Corston. The latter, dying before 1603, was in that year followed in the possession of the property by his son, J ames Eamsay of Corston. James Eamsay, who possessed the Mains of Xaughton for a few years, and also the Eamsays of Kirkton, and of Bottomcraig, were probably of this family. AYe have seen that Peter Hay of Kaughton purchased the lands of East Grange, &c., between 1620 and 1622. Of the western half of Kewgrange, Cleikumscleuch, Battlelaw, Crossfaulds, Outfields of Byres,* and other minute portions, the first proprietors we meet with are Andrew Wilson, Egbert and Alexander Cockburn. who possessed, perhaps before the Eeformation, separate divi- sions of these lands. Before 1569 these, and perhaps other portions, amounting to three-fourths of West Grange, &c., were acquired by David Balfour of Balbuthy, who in that year resigned them into the hands of the Commendator of Balmerino for a new charter of them, which charter was confirmed under the Great Seal in 1572. This charter makes mention of a "principal House or Hall (awZrt)" as belonging to that portion of the lands of Grange formerly possessed by Eobert Cockburn, and as afterwards occupied by David Balfour. The description seems to indicate a house of some pretension, which was probably built in monastic times as a residence for the Prior, or other member of the Convent who, no doubt, superintended the Grange. This continued to be the mansion-house of the Balfours, and is specified in a charter as late as 1686. Only a few years ago an old granary was demolished there, which, * Cleikumscleuch and Battlelaw together extended to four ox- gates of land; Outfields of Byres to eight oxgates. IV.] HISTORY OP FAMILIES. 309 judging from the superior style of its masonry, may have formed part of the buildings of the ancient Grange of the Abbey. The above-mentioned David Balfour of Balbuthy, after- wards Laird of Grange, was the third son of Andrew Balfour of Mountquhanie, head of the ancient family of Balfour, which is now represented by David Balfour, Esq., of Balfour and Trenaby in Orkney.* David Balfour of Balbuthy was an accomplice in the murder of Cardinal Bethune, on the 29th of May 1546. According to another account, however, he, with his brothers James and Gilbert Balfour, joined Norman Leslie and the other conspirators in the Castle of St Andrews, after the Cardinal's murder had been perpetrated. On the surrender of the Castle to the French, in the summer of 1547, the Balfours, with the rest of the besieged, including John Knox, were put on board the French galleys, and carried to France. They arrived first at Fecamp, a sea-port of Normandy , they then sailed up the river Seine, and lay before Rouen, where the chief men were" landed, and dispersed in various prisons. The others, including the three Balfours (" men without God" Knox calls them), were left in the galleys, and treated with great cruelty. "Then (says Knox) was the joy of the Papists, both of Scotland and France, in full perfection; for this was their song of triumph : — " Priests, content you now ; priests, content you now, For Norman and his company has filled the galleys fow." From Rouen the galleys departed to Nantes in Brittany, where they lay on the river Loire the whole winter, the prisoners working at the same time as galley-slaves, and Knox being one of their number. They refused, however, * The author has to acknowledge the courtesy of Mr Balfour in communicating to him much of this information regarding the family of Grange. 310 EALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART to give reverence to the Mass, though threatened with tor- ments unless they consented to do so. "When the galleys returned to Scotland, and were lying betwixt Dundee and St Andrews, John Knox, James Balfour, and, apparently, David and Gilbert his brothers, were in the same galley. This was about the month of June 1548. In the following winter Knox and the three Balfours were liberated. The latter, together with the other conspirators who had held St Andrews Castle, had been forfeited for treason on the 13th August 154G. In 1567 David Balfour had his sentence annulled. James Balfour, above mentioned, was the "parson of Flisk" who, in 1599, obtained a tack of the revenues of Balmerino Abbey from the last Abbot. He was a leading actor in most of the public events of that troublous time. Knox calls him "blasphemous Balfour," and Eobertson, the historian, has characterized him as the most corrupt man of his age. The house at Kirk-of-Field, in which Darnley was murdered, belonged to him, and, according to Knox, James and Gilbert Balfour were among those who "laid hands on the King to kill him."* David Balfour was succeeded in Grange by his second son Gilbert, who in 1581 entered into a contract with the Com- mendator of Balmerino regarding his lands, and died before 1589. Datid, son of the above Gilbert Balfour, and a minor at his father's death, was served heir to him in 1612. He had a son whose name is unknown, but who, leaving a daughter, predeceased his father, who died before 1620. The next Laird of Grange was Michael Balfour, eldest son of the first Da^dd Balfour of Grange. A charter of his lands, of the year 1631, specifies the remaining fourth of West Grange (being the sunny or south half), or the half of the • Kaox's History of the Reformation, II., 549. (Laing's Ed.) IV.] HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 311 fourtli part of the whole of Xewgrange, Cleikumscleuch, Battlelaw, Outfield of Byres, &c., which the Balfours must therefore have acquired before that year. This portion had formerly belonged to John Oliphant (mentioned in 1596), and in 1622 was possessed by Kobert Auchmuty, who had also several other lands in the parish. Michael Balfour married Jean Melville, niece of the cele- brated Andrew Melville, and was succeeded between 1642 and 1644 by his son Andrew, who in 1644 acquired from David, son of Kobert Auchmuty, the lands of Park, Poyn- tok, Craigingrugies-fauld, 3 acres in Harlands, and one in TVoodflat. His daughter Margaret married Andrew Leslie, second son of Sir John Leslie of ^N'ewton and Birkhiil, and was the ancestress of several of the Lords Lindores. David Balfour was served heir to his father Andrew in 1686, and in 1697 sold the above lands of Park, Poyntok, &c., to the Master of Balmerino. This Laird, and also his father and grandfather, were men of sturdy Covenanting prin- ciples.* In 1723 David Balfour sold Grange to Dr Alexander Scrimgeour (whose son afterwards purchased Birkhiil), and he was acting as a Commissioner of Supply in 1727 ; after which date we have no further knowledge of this branch of the family of Balfour. f * Sibbald (History of Fife), noticing Grange at this time, says — " Here is, of late, found good slate for covering houses." t See Appendix, No. XXIV., § 17 ; and No. XXV., § 4. In Sib- bald's time (the end of the 17th century), there were no fewer than twelve branches of the family of Balfour, all proprietors, in Fife. There were several others at an earlier period. 312 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART CHAPTER VI. THE LAIEDS OF BIRKHILL. "A lowly dale, fast by a river's side, With woody hill o'er hill encompassed round." Thomson. § 1. THE LESLEYS AXD LEAEMOXTHS. The Lands of Corbie, Corbiehill, &c., now called Birkhill, and anciently forming part of the Abbey property, were feued by Abbot Eobert to Andrew Lesley of Kilmany, afterwards fourth Earl of Eothes, whose ancestors, the Abernethies, had possessed them, as well as other lands in the Parish, before they were conferred on the Abbey. On the 1 6th of March 1540-1, Andrew Lesley obtained confirmation, under the Great Seal, of the charter of the above mentioned lands which had been granted to him by Abbot Eobert and the Convent; which, with charters of other lands he had acquired, was ratified by Parliament in 1567. Birkhill afterwards, and before 1573, came into the pos- session of George Learmonth of Balcomie, who married Euphemia Leslie, daughter of George, third Earl of Eothes, and half-sister of Andrew Leslie. John Learmonth, second son of George Learmonth, possessed Birkhill from 1596 to 1600 at least, and in the latter year succeeded to the estate of Balcomie, by the death of James his elder brother in Orkney while on his way home from Lewis, where, with other Fife Lairds, he had been engaged in a very unsuccess- ful attempt to colonize and subdue the Long Island under the King's authority. " Mr John Learmonth of Birkhill " IV.] HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 313 formed one of a Royal Commission of twelve persons ap- pointed to visit the three Colleges of the University of St. Andrews, where they met on the 8th of July 1597, " Mec/e presente.'' Before 1614 George, son of the above Andrew Lesley (then Earl of Rothes), acquired Birkhill, apparently by pur- chase from his cousin John Learmonth. George Lesley died ■without issue, and in 1614 his brother, John Lesley of Lum- bennie, was served heir to him in Corbie, Corbiehill, with eight arable acres adjacent, the Wood of Balmerino, with its dikes and ditches,* the fishings of Barnden or Broomden^ and Whitequarrel-hope, from Corbieden to Barnden, the lands of the Forester, or keeper of the said Wood (no doubt the Abbey Forester, whose office was usually hereditary, and had a certain portion of land attached to it), "with the principal mansion of the lands of Birkhill, near Lugden," and teinds of the whole. In 1620 John Lesley "was served heir to his brother George in the barony of ^N'ewton also, compre- hending Easter, Wester, and Middle Newton, St Fort Hay and its house, the superiority and fishings of Woodhaven, &c : which possessions his father had acquired in 1535, and had granted in 1596 to his son George and his heirs male, •whom failing, to his other son John, and his heirs male. This John Leslie of Lumbennie, and afterwards of Birk- hill and JSTewton (of which last place he is most frequently designed), was a man of great talents and eminence. In * From a charter granted to Sir John Lesley in 1655, and other charters, it appears that -what was called "the Wood of Balmerino" extended from Corbieden on the west, to the burn of Poyntok on the east, and was bounded on the south by an old dyke, or wall. Within this wood were the lands, and, no doubt, also the house of the For- ester, and afterwards the mansion house of Birkhill. A " planting called the Park," is also mentioned. The "Wood of Balmerino" was probably kept as a game preserve for the Monks. Sibbald says that Birkhill was so called " from a park of birks surrounding the house to the south." 314 BALMERIXO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART 1641, when King Charles I., who was then in Edinburgh, created General Lesley Earl of Leven in presence of the Scottish Parliament, "John Lesley of Birkhill," being one of the four esquires in attendance on the new peer, had the honour of knighthood conferred upon him. The following curious account of this interesting ceremony is given in the "Annals" of Sir James Balfour of Danmiln, who was then Lyon King of Arms : — " 6 ^^ovember, Saturday, Sessio L, Regej^reseiife. General Lesley having newly received his patent of Lord Balgony and Earl of Leven, was solemnly this day installed by His Majesty's order, in face of Parliament. Being invested in his Parliament robes, and conducted by the Earls of Eglin- ton, on his right hand, and Dunfermline, on his left, in their robes ; the Duke of Lennox and Eichmond, Great Chamberlain of Scotland, in his robes, going before him ; in this order did they come through the court, and so entered the Parliament House. " Eirst went six trumpets in their liveries, two and two in order. "Then the pursuivants, two and two in order, in their coats of office. " Then the heralds in their coats, the eldest of which did bear his [Leven's] coronet. '* ^ext came the Lyon King of Arms, having the new Earl's patent in his hand. " And after him the Lord Great Chamberlain in his robes, followed by the Earl Marishall, who did usher in the new created Earl, and his two assistants or conductors. " 'W'hen they came before the throne, the Lyon delivered the patent to the Earl of Leven, who did give it to the Pre- sident of the Parliament, and he to the clerk, who openly read it. " Then after three several low cringes, the Earl ascended the throne, and kneeling before His Majesty, had the usual IV.] HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 315 oath of an Earl administered to liim by the Earl of Lanark, Secretary of State ; after which His Majesty did put the coronet on his head, and [Leven] arising, humbly thanked His Majesty for so great a testimony of his favour, and withal besought his Majesty to knight the four Esquires that did attend him, which, in this order, by His Majesty's command, were called by the Lyon King of Arms : — " John Lesley of Birkhill ; John Brown of Fordell ; James Melville of Burntisland ; Andrew Skene of Auchtertool. " Being in this order called by their names, they ascended the throne, and, kneeling, were severally dubbed knights by His Majesty with the Sword of State ; then all of them, again kneeling, had a gilt spur put on their right heel by Sir David Crichton of Lugton, knight, the ancientest knight there at hand. This done, they still on their knees, with uplifted hands, had the oath of a knight administered to them by the Lyon King of Arms, after which they severally kissed His Miijesty's hand, descended, and attended the new made Earl to his place, where he was ranked amongst his peers. " Then was there four several alarges proclaimed, by the Lyon first for His Majesty, by the heralds for the new Earl, and by the pursuivants for the four knights, with all their titles ; after which the Earls retired, and disrobed themselves, and thereafter returned to the House." In the same year in which he was knighted. Sir John Lesley, though a staunch royalist, was one of those appointed in the room of four Lords of Session who had been displaced for their adherence to the King's cause, and he took his seat on the bench as Lord Newton. But having accepted a lieu- tenant-colonelcy in the King's horse-guards, and having been concerned in the Duke of Hamilton's Engagement, he was deprived of his Lordship of Session, and other honours, by 316 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART Parliament, in 1649. On the 1st of September 1651, Dundee was taken and plundered by General Monk, and many of the inhabitants, as well as persons of distinction who had flocked into it from the surrounding country for safety, were massacred. Amongst those who perished on that occasion were Robert Lumsdaine of Mountquhanie, who was governor of Dundee, and Sir John Lesley of Newton, with one of his sons. Sir John Lesley was succeeded by his eldest son of the same name, who, in 1650, had married Isobel, daughter of George Hay of IS^aughton, and appears to have been involved in pecuniary difficulties. In 1652 (says Lamont in his Diarj^) " Sr. Ihone Lesley of IN'ewtone and Corbie in Lyfe, sold Corbee wood to some men in Stratherne for 5500 marks; he was to receive the money att 3 or 4 seuerall termes. The tries heir werre not vpon the decaying hand ; for the most pairt all of them werre hot younge tries, and not one of ane hundred attained to ther perfection ; it consisted of oaks, ashes, plains, allars, birkes, sauches."* In 1662 (s'djs Lamont) " Alexander Cuninghame was scorged through the towne of Cuper of Fiffe, and after brunt in the right hand with a burning iyron, and banished the shyre of Fifife, because some months agoe, he had ryddine away with his measter, Sr lohne Lesly of l^ewton in Fiffe, his horse, and 700 marks, or therby, of his money, and spent the same idelly in the west-countrey."t The second Sir John Lesley was succeeded by his only son John, who died in 1686 without succession, when the estate of Birkhill went to two nieces of the latter. J ♦ Dian-, pp. 16, 43. t Ibid., p. 151. ' J See Appendix, No. XXIV., § 18, 19, 20. 1 IV.] HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 317 § 2. THE DICKS, CAR:^rEGIES, AND ALISONS OF BIRKHILL. Anne and Janet Dick, daughters of William Dick of Grange in Mid-Lothian, by his first wife Elizabeth Lesley, daughter of the second Sir John Lesley, were served heirs-portioners of tailzie of their uncle in Birkhill, &c., in 1697, and in Newton at the same time.* Janet Dick was married to Mungo Carnegie, advocate, of the family of Carnegie of Pitarrow, who acquired Birk- hill with his wife. He died in 1705. His wife married, secondly, (before 1711) Alexander Alison, Writer to the Signet, who was one of the Curators of the family of Mungo Carnegie. She possessed also the third part of Kilmany, and a portion of St. Fort — no doubt inherited from the Lesleys. Alexander Alison was succeeded in the possession of Birk- hill by his eldest son Alexander. The latter dying in, or before 1729, his brother, John Alison, became proprietor of Birkhill in that year. John Alison becoming bankrupt, the estate of Birkhill was purchased under a judicial sale, in 1744, by David Scrimgeour, advocate, who, however, had been residing at Birkhill several years previously. The price he paid for the property (which did not then include Grange, or Cultra) was £29,600 Scots, or £2,466 13s, 7d. sterling; being about forty-five years' purchase. David Scrimgeour was the son of Dr Alexander Scrimgeour, who had previously purchased the estate of Grange, and who was also proprietor of Wor- met.t * In 1728 the Hon. Charles Leslie got sasine of Newton; and that property appears to have returned to the Rothes family, and to have remained in their possession till sold to the Earl of Zetland. t See Appendix, No. XXIV., § 21, 22, 318 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART § 3. THE SCEi:\rGEOrE-^VEDDERBUEKS OF BIRKHILL. The family of ScRnrcEOUR is of great antiquity. Accord ing to Buchanan, Malcolm III., Avhose reign commenced in the year 1057, bestowed the name of Scrimgeour (Skir- misher, or hardy-fighter) on Sir Alexander Carron, at the same time creating him and his heirs hereditary standard- bearers to the King, in reward for a deed of bravery which he performed in a battle on the river Spey, when he crossed that river bearing the royal standard (which the King had taken from its previous bearer, because he saw that he shrank from crossing), and gained a complete victory over the enemy, who were drawn up on the opposite bank. Buchanan also relates a similar exploit performed at the same river by Alexander, son of the above-mentioned Sir Alexander Carron, in the reign of Alexander I. (1106-1124).* According to other historians, Alexander I. being at his palace of Invergowrie, a plot was formed to seize his person, but Sir Alexander Carron, one of his courtiers, having dis- covered the plot when it was about to be carried into execu- tion, got His Majesty safely conveyed aw^ay by a private passage, and across the Tay to Fife, thus saving the King's life. The King then pursued the rebels as far as the banks of the Spey, where the same Sir Alexander Carron performed the service, and obtained the reward mentioned above. "Whatever may be the precise truth in this matter, and whether one or two persons of the name of Carron distin- guished themselves on the banks of the Spey against the enemy, there is no reason to doubt that the name of Scrim- * See TVood's " Peerage." Xisbet's " Heraldry," and Douglas's " Baronage," from which our account of this family has been mainly compiled. ! IV.] HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 319 geour owes its origin to an exploit of the kind descrilied. and that the hereditary office of standard-bearer to the King, with the privilege of carrying part of the royal arms as their armorial bearings, was conferred on this family as early as the reign of Alexander I. Coming down to the time of "Wallace, we then meet with the first authentic records of the family of Scrimgcour. Sir Alexander " The Skirmischur," one of that hero's associ- ates in his successful siege of the Castle of Dundee, is allowed to have been the lineal representative of the above Sir Alexander Carron or Scrimgeour, though the intermediate names are not known. Blind Harry, the minstrel, relating the destruction of the Castle, which event followed its sur- render, says : — " Masonis, minouris, with Scryiiigeour furth send, Kest down Dunde, and thereoflf maid ane end." At that time Scrimgeour undoubtedly bore the national banner before the army of Wallace, who, as Governor of Scotland, conferred on him and his successors, for his dis- tinguished services, the office of Constable of Dundee, along with a charter of certain lands and houses on the north and west sides of the town. This curious grant is dated at Tor- phichen, the 29th of March 1298, and the property of Dud- hope is believed to have been a portion of the lands conferred by it. A fac-simile of the charter has been published by Anderson in his Diplomata Scotiae; and the charter itself is famous as being one of the four original deeds granted by Wallace which alone are now extant.* " A special lustre (says Mr Burton, in reference to the Scrimgeoursf) was always conceded by the popular voice to that race which held a hereditary title conferred by Wal- * Tytler's History of Scotland, III., 383 (Popular Ed.). Jervise's " ^Memorials of Angus and Mearns." + History of Scotland, vol. II., p. 300. 320 BALMERINO AXD ITS ABBEY. [pART lace." From Scrimgeour, the contemporary of Wallace, the line of the family can be traced down, in unbroken succession, to the present proprietor of Birkhill. Sir James Scrimgeour of Dudhope was one of those who accompanied the Earl of Mar to Flanders in the beginning of the tifteenth century. We have seen that Sir AVilliam Hay of Xaughton was another, and that these are both mentioned by an ancient French poet.^" Wynton of Lochleven thus notices Scrimgeour in connection with that campaign : — " Schere James Scremgeoure of Dundee, Comendit a famous knight was he, The kingis banneoure of fe, A lord that wele aucht lovit be." \ And the ballad of '' The Battle of Harlaw " — where he was killed in 1411 — thus mentions him : — " Sir James Scrymgeor of Dudhope, knicht, Grit Constabill of fair Dundie, Unto the dulef ull deith was dicht ; The King's chief bannerman was he; A valziant man of chivalrie, Quhaise predecessor wan that place At Spey, with gude King William frie, 'Gainst Murray and Macduncan's race." The Scrimgeours erected a castle at Dudhope, which ap- pears in Sletzer's View of Dundee as it stood in 1680. It was a large square keep of the style of the fifteenth century, and stood on the site of the present barracks, a much more recent erection. This castle was long the chief residence of the family. As Constables of Dundee, the Scrimgeours were frequently in conflict with the inhabitants. In 1641 Sir John Scrimgeour of Dudhope was raised to the peerage as Viscount Dudhope and Lord Scrimgeour. * See page 254. t Chronicle, II. 433. IV.] HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 321 James, the second Viscount, was mortally wounded at the battle of Marston Moor on the 2d of July 1G44, while fighting in the royal cause.* John, the thirteenth Constable of Dundee, and third Viscount, assisted Charles II. in his famous run or "start" to Clova in I60O, and in the same year accompanied His Majesty to the battle of Worcester. He was taken prisoner in the Braes of Angus by the Eng- lish in 1654. In 1661 he was rewarded for his loyalty by being created Earl of Dundee. On his death without issue, the Duke of Lauderdale had influence enough to obtain from the Crown a gift of iiltimus haeres, and afterwards of recog- nition of his estate in favour of his own brother Charles Maitland of Hatton. The limitations of the peerage are unknown, the patent not being on record ; but according to the settlement of the estates in 1541 and 1587, John ScRiMGEOUR of Kirktou, the lineal ancestor of the present proprietor of Birkhill, being the nearest heir-male of line and entail to the Earl, ought to have succeeded to the lands and barony of Dudhope, the office of Constable of Dundee, &c. Maitland's recognition thus unjustly deprived Kirkton of his rights, and caused him and other creditors on the estate to lose their lawful debts, which, with the misfortune of having bought the hferent of the Countess of Dundee, and the expenses of an unsuccessful htigation in prosecution of his rights, obhged him to sell his estates for the payment of his creditors. Particularly, the lands of Kirkton were then sold to John Scrimgeour, merchant in Dundee.! * Thomson (History of Dundee, 1847) says that both the second and third Viscounts Dudhope were Covenanters. t The barony of Dudhope and office of Constable of Dundee were aftenv'ards taken from Maitland of Hatton, and given to Graham of Claverhouse, Viscount Dundee. At his forfeiture in 1689, these estates, or the greater part of them, were granted to the Earl of Forfar, and are now the property of his descendant, Lord Douglas. (Thomson's History of Dundee, p. 364.) X BALMERIXO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART John Scrimgeour, the former Laird of Kirkton referred to, married Magdalene, daughter of Alexander Wedderbum of Kingennie and Easter Powrie, afterwards called Wedder- buin ; and their son, Dr Alexander Scrimgeour, who pur- chased Grange in 1723, was successively Professor of Humanity, of Philosophy, and of Theology in St Andrews University. He was suspended for his Jacobite principles by a Royal Visitation about 1719, and was proceeded against for the same offence by the Synod of Fife. He married Janet, only daughter of Professor David Falconer, of St Andrews, and Laird of Little Kinneir; and that property was thus acquired by the Scrimgeours. David Scrimgeour, who purchased Birkhill in 1 744, was the son of Professor Scrimgeour. He was called to the bar in 1731, and appointed Sheriff-Depute of Inverness on the abolition of heritable jurisdictions, after the suppression of the rebellion of 1745. His eldest son, Alexander Scrim- geour, succeeded him in his estates in 1772 ; and in 1778, on acquiring by inheritance the estate of Wedderburn in Forfarshire, assumed the name and arms of Wedderburn of AYedderburn, of which family it now remains that we give some account. James "Wedderburn, merchant in Dundee, in the reign of James III., was descended from a collateral branch of the "Wedderburns of that Ilk in Berwickshire, whose lands passed with an heiress to a younger branch of the Homes in the time of Eobert III. John, grandson of this James Wedderburn, was town-clerk of Dundee in the reign of James IT., in which office he was followed by his son David, and several other descendants. James, the second son of this David, was appointed Professor of Church History in St Andrews in 1623, and in 1635 became Bishop of Dum- blane. Being deprived and excommunicated by the General Assembly which, in 1638, met at Glasgow and abolished Episcopacy, Bishop Wedderburn retired to England, in which IV.] HISTORY OF FAMILIES. 323 country he had previously held a livmg, and, dying in 1639, was buried in Canterbury Cathedral. Alexander Wedderburx, the Bishop's elder brother, was in great favour with James VI., whom he accompanied to Eng- land on his accession, and who, on his taking leave in order to return to Scotland, took a diamond ring off his finger, and presented it to him as a token of regard. This ring is stiU preserved at Birkhill. The same Alexander Wedderburn acquired the barony of Kingennie, subsequently erected of new into the barony of Wedderburn. James, his second son, was the ancestor of the Wedderburns of Blackness, of Sir Peter Wedderburn of Gosford, of the Halkets of Pitferran (who changed their name), and of Lord Chancellor Lough- borough, who was created Earl of Posslyn. David Wedder- burn of Wedderburn dying unmarried in 1761, in him the principal male line ended, and the representation devolved on the family of Blackness. Grisel, only sister of David Wedderburn of AYedderburn, on her brother's death suc- ceeded to his estate of Wedderburn. On her death, she was succeeded in that property by Alexander Scrimgeour of Birkhill, as the next heir and only surviving descendant of Alexander Wedderburn, third baron of Kingennie, whose daughter Magdalene was married to John Scrimgeour of Kirkton, as has been already mentioned. In 1811 Alexander Scrimgeour- Wedderburn was suc- ceeded by his brother Henry, who had resided several years in Jamaica. On his death, in 1841, the succession devolved on his only surviving son, Frederick Lewis Scri3igeour- Wedderburn, now of Wedderburn and Birkliill, Hereditary Eoyal Standard-Bearer of Scotland.* * Burke ("Landed Gentry," Supplement, p. 291) says that the office of Royal Standard-Bearer of Scotland has been claimed at all the coronations since that of George III., for the purpose of a salvo jure, by the descendants of James Scrimgeour of Foxhall, in the parish of Kirkliston; but he does not state on what grounds they found such a claim. 324 BALMERIXO AND ITS ABBEY. [PART IV. The Mansion-house of Birkhill, which a few years ago received such extensive additions and improvements as to render it one of the most elegant structures in the county, was built in 1780 on the site of the old house, which had been the residence of the Lesleys, and is mentioned in charters as early as 1614. A remnant of that edifice, notable for the thickness of its walls, was in existence till the recent altera- tions. One of the most remarkable objects in this district is an ancient hedge of very high yew trees, with several hollies inter- spersed, at BirkhilL It forms three sides of a rectangle, of which the east and west sides are each about ninety yards in length, and the north side about half that number. The great age of the trees is evident both from the thickness of their trunks, and the wide spreading of the branches, which measure about eighteen yards across, or from the inner to the outer side of the hedge. It is quite healthy in every part — with- out gap or irregularity j and the deep shade of its lofty walls of foliage, together with a pecuKar stillness which reigns within the inclosure, produces on the mind of the visitor an impression which is not soon effaced. Nothing is certainly known either of the age of this hedge, or of the purpose for which it was intended ; but as it seems to have been for some time kept low by pruning, and afterwards allowed to expand freely ; and as the Abbey Forester appears to have had his residence at Birkhill, it is probable that the hedge was originally designed to serve merely as a fence for Ms garden. The space inclosed, now used as a flower-garden, was previously- — about twenty years since — stocked with fruit trees. Many years ago, part of a causeway was laid bare, but again covered up, at the south side of the rectangle, indicating the former existence of some building there, which was probably of a character superior to the cottages which once stood near the spot.* * See Appendix, No. XXIV., § 23; and No. XXV., § 4. CONCLtTDING CHAPTER. 325 CONCLUDING CHAPTER. The design of this book being to relate whatever events of any importance eould be ascertained concerning "Our Parish" from the earliest times of which any records exist down to a period within the recollection of the older members of the present generation of its inhabitants, the plan would not be completed without a brief notice of some matters of a miscellaneous kind, which could not well be set down under any of the preceding divisions. The Rev. John Thomson, alluding, in the "New Statistical Account, to the fact of Queen Magdalene's physicians' choos- ing St Andrews and Balmerino for her residence, as having " the best aers of any places in the kingdom," says : — '' In subsequent generations, dames of meaner degree have been no less indebted to the excellence of its 'aers,' as the follow- ing well authenticated facts clearly prove. The writer of the former Statistical Account [the Rev, Andrew Thomson] says, 'The wholesomeness of the cHmate appears also from the fruitfulness of the females. The present incumbent has often, in the course of ten years, had an opportunity of bap- tizing twins ; and there are two families in the Parish at present, one of whom has had thrice twins, and the other had five sons at two births.' I may be permitted to add, that that individual, during his incumbency, baptized, in the Parish, three times trines. Few parishes of equal extent contain a greater number of very oM people. There are at present [in 1838] 35 individuals bordering on, or upwards of, eighty years. One woman is in her ninety-fifth year, and another died last year in her hundredth. From March 1836 to March 1337 six individuals died, whose united ages 326 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. amounted to 512, gmng an average of 85 years to each. The last incumbent died in March 1836, in his 91st year." It may be added, that a few years ago a woman died in the village of Gauldry, who had passed her 1 02d birth-day ; but the number of very old persons in the Parish has of late greatly decreased. Perhaps this fact may have some con- nection with the greater attention given in more recent times to the registration of births, which, it is to be feared, may ulti- mately have the effect of considerably shortening human life! At the date of the Old Statistical Account (1793), oxen were still occasionally used in the Parish, both in the plough and in carriages. Flax was then largely grown, and spun, as well as woven in the Parish. Till within thirty years before that period " the Parish did not produce so much grass as to afford pasture for the cattle necessary for labouring the soil. At that time the farmers were forced to graze out a part, and depended chiefly upon their marshy grounds for the subsistence of the remainder through the summer. Now the bogs are almost all drained." Down to the beginning of the present century there were various "lochs," or small sheets of water in the Parish ; one on the south side of Gauldry; one, called the Shepherd's Loch, west from Gauldry, below the public road ; one south-east of Priorwell, called Cultra Loch ; one near Balgove ; one south of Bot- tomcraig, called the Minister's Loch, where the curling-pond now is ; and one on the top of Scurr Hill. The small feuars had anciently rights of pasturing their cattle and horses on various commons throughout the Parish. About 1778, and subsequently, these rights were resigned to the larger heritors in exchange for portions of land, and the moors or pasture lands of Bottomcraig, Grange, Ballin- dean, (fee, were brought into cultivation. Since that period also most of the Abbey feus have been absorbed into the larger estates, and the small farms have been conjoined into CONCLUDING CHAPTER. 327 large ones. Thus the present farm of Balmerino compre- hends the Lmds of seven or eight separate holdings. These changes have led to the disappearance of many cottages from places where there had been dwellings for centuries previ- ously. Small pendicles of land, with a cow's grazing at- tached to them, which were formerly very numerous, are now very rare. A tanwork, which was carried on at Byres in the early part of this century, has been long ago discon- tinued. Other changes are thus noticed in the Old Statistical Account. "The harbour of Balmerino, a creek belonging to the custom-house of Dundee, is the chief place on the south side of the Tay for shipping wheat and barley for the Forth and Canal The quay was at first designed for ship- ping lime from the Fife hills to Dundee ; now there is not a boll that comes from thence, but, on the contrary, some thousands from Charlestown ou the Forth, and from South Sunderland, are delivered annually to the Parish and neigh- bourhood. This trade has been much on the increase of late. The trade of shipping wheat and barley at this port began about 30 years ago ; at first only some farm-bolls were shipped, and afterward the merchants began to buy from the farmers at the weekly market at Cupar, and received their grain at Balmerino. Before that period, the farmers carried their victual either to Dundee, where the merchants shipped the surplus, or transported it upon horseback to the south coast. The number of bolls shipped here last year must, from the nearest calculation, have exceeded 7000." At the same period the salmon fishing on the Tay was carried on "by means of yairs or scaffolds with pokenets, and in summer with sweep and toot-nets." Spirlings were caught with pokenets tied between poles, and anchored at the back end. Seal-fishing was practised in summer. Stake- nets for catching salmon, introduced in the Tay in 1797, were abolished by a decision of the House of Lords in 1816. 328 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. In this Parish the loss sustained by the abolition was esti- mated to amount to £1000 or £1200 annually to the pro- prietors, and .£1000 in the shape of fishermen's wages. The plan of boiling the salmon in order to preserve them for the London market, which was practised at Balmerino, has long ago been discontinued. The present public road leading past Little Inch and Bot- tomcraig was constructed in 1791. The road previously passed by the back of Little Inch, then close in front of Naughton House, and so on by the north end of the present Manse till it joined the hne of the present road. The road leading through C ultra and Gauldry was anciently called the Ferrygate.* According to Leighton,t there are 10 miles, 160 yards, of statute-labour roads now in this Parish. The wood along the shore, on the Balmerino estate, was planted in 1812 by ^Ir Hay of Balendoch, factor for Mr Stuart. The wood east of Leadwells, and the wood south-west of Bottomcraig were first planted about the same time. The present houses in the villages of Gauldry and Kirkton were mostly built, and the feus acquued from IXaughton, in the early part of this century. The greater part of the ground on which Gauldry stands was previously a moor. Por several years in the beginning of this century horse-races, patronized by Colonel Morison, were held on the moor south- east of Gauldry. After Colonel Morison's death, these races were kept up by Mr Skene, grandson and heir-apparent of Mr IMorison, who generally lived at Naughton; but after Mr Skene's death they were discontinued, as was also a Pair which had been held for some time, twice every year, at Gauldry. It is said that Colonel Morison on one occasion staked £1000 on a horse at the Gauldry Paces. The ground * The old road from Kilmany to Gauldry is still called '-The Ferry Road." t " Fife Illustrated." CONCLUDING CHAPTER. 329 selected for the races the last time they were held was the field west from Gauldry, and north of the public road. The present Churchyard of Balmerino contains only five tombstones of an older date than the last century. There are in it no monuments to any of the larger landholders, with the exception of the Morisons of Naughton, and the Scrim- geour-Wedderburns of Birkhill, whose places of interment occupy the site of the aisle of the old Church, a portion of whose walls was standing as late as about twenty years ago. These places of burial, and also that of the Starks, factors at Balmerino, (which was probably the bury ing-pl ace of the Starks of Balhndean) are inclosed within iron railings. Mr Andrew Thomson and Mr John Thomson are the only min- isters of Balmerino to whom a tombstone has been erected, or whose graves can now be identified. The oldest tomb- stone in the Churchyard is one which probably dates from before the Eeformation. It is a slab on which is an incised cross occupying nearly the whole length of the stone, and represented as standing on a series of four steps. The points of the cross are curiously ornamented with croslets placed within segments of circles. The Latin inscription running round the margin of the slab appears to have been beautifully exe- cuted in relief, in Old-English letters, of which the words, Hic JACET, are all that are now legible. Figures of tools placed on each side of the cross seem to be those of a mason. Another stone has the following inscription in raised let- ters, — "Her latis ane faithful sestre [?] Isabel Ram- say spovs to Alexandr Mathev of Kirktovn of Bal- MERINOH QUHA DEPERTIT THE 8 DAY OF OCTOBR ANNO 1596 OF AGE 61." Round a death's head are the words, — "Death IS LAYF TO THE FAITHFUL." This stone bears also the arms of Matthew impaled with those of Ramsay. Another tombstone has the following inscription — " Heir LYIS ANE HONEST MAN AND FAITHFUL CaLLIT GeORGE RaMSAY BURGES AND BROTHER GiLD OF DuNDIE AND PORTIONER OF 330 BALMERIXO AND ITS ABBEY. BODDUMCRAIG QVHA DEPAIRTIT YTS PRESENT LYF 15 OF DECEM- BER AND OF HIS AGE 90." The sculptop has forgot to insert the year, but the style of the work shows it to be of the same period as the stone last luentioaed. It bears Eamsay's arms impaled with his wife's, and the initials G. E. and C. B. These three stones have probably been removed from the old Convent Churchyard, which is now entirely obliterated. A few other tombstones may be mentioned. One, on which is inscribed a lengthy passage of Scripture, records the death of Margaret Henderson, wife of James Knox in Peasehills, — which event took place on the last day of Februar}^ 1673. Another mentions the death of Christian Glen, portioner of C ultra and Bottomcraig, and spouse of John Wan in St Fort, which took place in 1687, in the 67th year of her age. Besides several texts of Scripture, it bears the following curi- ous inscription: — "This ston is placed heire alenarly be John Wan and Christian Glen his firste lavefvl spovs, also for Mary Reid his second lavefvl spous, or any of his nighest re- lations clamng rigght thereto." Another stone commemorates John Wyllie, Schoolmaster of Balmerino, who died on the 17th of December 1705 — the only Schoolmaster to whom a stone has been erected. Another tombstone informs us that John Boyter, husband of " Christian Bere " (Berry), died on the 15th of January 1745, aged 42 years; and that Chris- tian Berry died in 1 754. This was the woman who furnished a hiding-place in her house to the last Lord Balmerino. (See page 294.) Of the modern tombstones, the only one calling for special notice is a granite monument bearing the following inscrip- tion : — " In memory of Robert Donaldson of Rosebank, in the county of Aberdeen, this stone is placed. He was born at Wester Kinnaird [Kinneir] in the Parish of Kilmany, in this county, and died at Rosebank 17th April, 1829, in the 80th year of his age ; leaving his whole property, with the exception of some legacies, for the propagation of the Chris- CONCLUDING CHAPTER. 331 tian Protestant Eeligion within Scotland and its Islands." The Donaldson Fund, which is considerable in amount, is chiefly applied to educational purposes in the counties of Aberdeen and Fife. The mention of the Churchyard, which contains the dust of so many parishioners of whom there is no record on earth, reminds us of the words of an old author, which are at the same time very applicable to the contents of this book, and with which we conclude : — " Large are the treasures OF OBLIVION. Much more is buried in silence than RECORDED ; AND THE LARGEST VOLUMES ARE BUT EPITOMES OF WHAT HATH BEEN." APPENDIX APPENDIX No. I. TOPOGRAPHY OF BALMEPJXO PARISH. [From the New Statistical vVccount, by the late Rev. John Thomson; 1838.] The Parish stretches along the south bank of the estuary of Tay, from near the mansion-house of Birkhill on the west, to the Wor- mit Bay on the east. From these two points it ranges in a semi- circular form towards the small stream of Motray, which consti- tutes its boundary on the south. Its length along the Tay, from east to west, is about S^ miles, and its breadth from north to south about 2^ miles. It is bounded on the north by the Frith of Tay ; on the west by the parish of Flisk ; on the south by Kll- many ; on the east by Forgan or St Fillan's. Within this area there are contained about eight square miles. Two hilly ridges traverse the Parish from east to west, and run nearly parallel to each other. The Scurr Hill and Coultry Hill form the loftiest points of their respective ridges ; the former, which rises in the northern division of the Parish, attains an ele- vation of about 400 feet [336 feet, by the Ordnance Survey] above the level of the Tay ; and the latter, which occupies the southern division, is about 600 [514 by the Ordnance Survey]. The Manse and Church are beautifully situated within the intervening valley, which at this point is very narrow, but gradually stretches out to considerable dimensions in its progress eastward. About the centre of the southern ridge, there is a considerable extent of high table-land, in which the village of Gauldry is placed ; the ground slopes gently down on the south towards the valley of Kilraany, and is terminated on the east by the ravine of "Wormit-Den, which 336 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. here separates the Parish from Forgan : the hamlets of Coultry and Corbie Hill lie towards the western extremity. The northern ridge declines more rapidly towards the Tay, the shores of which, along the whole boundary, are extremely bold and rocky, rising in some places into precipitous mural cliffs. The villages of Kirk- ton and Balmerino are both situated on the western slope of the Scurr Hill ; and a little to the south lie the ruins of the Abbey, where the ground gradually decUnes towards the banks of the Tay. The house of Naughton is built on the southern acclivity of a small isolated ridge, which rises abruptly a httle to the east of the Church, in the centre of the valley, on the summit of which the ruins of an old Castle are stiU to be seen. A beautiful picturesque dell hes immediately beneath, from the bottom of which the rock springs perpendicularly to the height of ninety or a hundred feet, and which is overhung by the walls of the building ; presenting no mean idea of the strength of a place that must have frequently been put to proof by the rude assailants of a former age. The Parish is well wooded, every spot almost, which is less adapted for tillage, being covered with thriving plantations, and without which, many of the grounds, from their elevated situation, would suffer much by their exposure to the easterly gales. No river or stream of any consequence passes through the Parish. The estuary of Tay is here about four miles broad, but, as high sandbanks stretch outward for nearly a mile, vessels of limited burden only can approach the harbour of Balmerino. No. II. GEOLOGY OF THE PARISH. [Contributed by the late Rev. Dr Anderson of Newburgh to the New Statistical Account.] The rocks in this Parish belong exclusively to the sandstone and trap families. Of the former there are two varieties, both of which belong to the Old Red Sandstone formations. One of these is the gray sandstone, which is considered by Dr Anderson (Edin. Phil. APPENDIX. 337 Journal, July 1837) as the lowest member of the series, and which, from the organic remains embedded in it, he regards as the same with the beds that traverse the Sidlaws, Strathmore, and the upper part of Strathearn. These remains are exclusively vegetable, being the culms, leaves, and fruit of the order Graminese, and which are found in great abundance in one of the softer beds of the deposit that emerges a Uttle to the west of TVormit Bay. From this point, where it may be traced across the frith to Invergowrie Bay, the sandstone ranges westward through the Parish, cropping out at Demmons. and various other places on the estate of Birkhill. It is an extremely compact and durable rock, and is admirably adapted for building operations. The bed in which the organic remains are found is friable and soft, and seems to abound more in aluminous than siliceous matter. The mica is also very abun- dant in this part of the deposit. The other variety of sandstone is of a reddish colour. It crops out immediately at the harbour, and ranges westward to Birkhill, where it may be observed on the beach beneath the mansion-house. It contains a considerable quantity of quartzy nodules, and por- tions of other primitive rocks. A scale — only one — has been found in it, similar to those which occur so abundantly in the Farkhill and Clashbennie beds, also at Dura and Drumdryan ; and from this circumstance, it may fairly be regarded as a continuation of these interesting rocks. The bed at the harbour is coarse-grained, compact, and hard, and at one time was much sought after for oven floors. The trap or whinstone consists of several varieties, namely, amygdaloid, trap tuffa, compact felspar, clinkstone, and claystone porphyry. Interesting sections of each may be seen along the shore, from the harbour towards Wormit Bay. The amygdaloid is generally coarse and tuffaceous, but gradually passes, iu many places, into a finer variety, which may be considered as approach- ing to the characters of a greenstone. The numerous cavities con- tained in the coarse kind are lined with white amethyst, flesh-red calcareous spar, white felspar, calcedony, agate, green earth and common quartz. In these nodular masses the calcedony appears to have been first deposited, and the quartz last.^ The Scurr HiU is well known to the lapidaries and other collectors of these beau- tiful minerals, and no part of the island, perhaps, affords in such Y 338 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. abundance, as well as such rare and choice specimens of, the several varieties of agates. The compact felspar becomes porphyritic, is of a deep, flesh-red colour, and susceptible of a fine polish. The •whole of these rocks, as may be seen at TVormit Bay and Birkhill, are intimately associated with the stratified deposits, and afford the student in geology an interesting view of the manner in which the igneous matter has been injected amongst the sedimentary beds ; as well as the induration and disruptions among the latter, that have resulted from the intrusion of the former. The sand- stone is, in many instances, by the intrusion of the trap, spht up into thin laminae, varying from an inch to a quarter of an inch in thickness ; it is sometimes tossed into a vertical position ; and in other cases, as at Birkhill beach, the two rocks are so blended and mixed up with each other, as to render it difficult to distinguish them, or to separate the amorphous from the stratified portions. Boulders of primitive rocks are to be found in every locality along the shore, as well as on the highest ridges. One of huge dimensions, which lay a httle to the north of the Manse, excited no small degree of attention, as well as speculation, among the people, as to the means by which it had been placed, bridge-like, across a stream there. It measured about twelve feet in length by nine in breadth, and was of great thickness. By the last incum- bent [the Rev. Andrew Thomson], who was fonder of practical agricultural improvements than of plausible and ingenious specula- tions, it was unceremoniously committed to the blasting influences of gunpowder, when, after being blown into a hundred fragments, it afforded employment of many days hard work before it could be carted away to the enclosures on the grass glebe. It was a primi- tive hornblend, or greenstone rock, and must have been trans- ported from beyond "the far distant Grampians" by the agency of floods, of which we have now happily no experience. [The following is from the New Statistical Account of Fhsk.] A submarine forest of ten miles in length hes along the margin of the Tay, stretching from Flisk-point about three miles upwards, and seven down the river. It is covered at full tide with four or five feet of water. It consists of a bed of peat-moss, and has no alluvial stratum superinduced. Many stumps of trees with their roots attached, and manifestly in the place and position in which APPENDIX. 339 they originally grew, have been observed. It rests on a bed of gray-coloured clay, whose surface, with slight variations, is hori- zontal, and on a level with low-water mark. (See a paper on this subject by the Rev. Dr Fleming in the Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh for 1822.) [We may here advert to a change in the course of the Tay which is said to have taken place at a remote period. The tradition is, that at one time that river flowed close by the foot of the Carse of Gowrie hills, and that the main current joined the Earn somewhere below Errol ; while a portion of its waters were not emptied in- to the principal stream till it reached Invergowrie. A great forest around and eastward from Lindores was anciently called Black Ironside or Earnside Wood. For other circumstances cor- roborative of the tradition, see the Old Statistical Account of the parish of Longforgan.] Xo. III. BOTANY OF THE PARISH. [The following very complete hst of the Flowering Plants and Ferns of Balmerino Parish has been kindly furnished for this work by the Rev. James Borwick of Rathillet, who has devoted much attention to the Botany of the district. Mr Borwick desires it to be stated, how- ever, that there are some portions of this Parish which he has not examined ; that Birkhill woods, and other places, must furnish several more plants ; and that it is known that the late Mr Gardi- ner of Dundee found the banks by the shore fertile in mosses. With Mr Borwick's list are here incorporated the names of addi- tional plants which have been noticed in the Parish by the Rev. James Farquharson, M.A., of Selkirk. They are indicated thus, — [Mr F.] A few also are inserted, which are mentioned in the New Statistical Account, and in Swan and Leighton's " Fife Illustrated." The more particular localities of a few rare plants, and of some which, though not uncommon elsewhere, are rare in this neigh- bourhood, are indicated by letters thus: — (A.), about the Abbey; (B.), BirkhiU; (B. T.), the banks of the Tay; (G.), Gauldry ; (N.), 340 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. Naughton. The mark * indicates those plants which, although now naturalized in some localities, are, in the opinion of Mr Far- quharson, certainly not natives in this district. The names of the plants are set down in the order followed in the Catalogue of Brit- ish Plants printed for the Botanical Society of Edinburgh.] Eanukculace'ae. *Aconitum Napellus; Anemone nemorosa; *Aquilegia vulgaris ; Caltha palustris ; *Eranthis hyemalis ; Ran- unculus acris; R. aquatilis; R. bulbosus; R. Ficaria; R. Flam- mula; R. hederaceus; R. repens; R sceleratus (B.). Papaveraceae. Chelidonium majus (G.) ; Papaver Argemone (Scurr), [Mr F.] ; P. dubium ; P. Rhoea^. Fumapjaceae. Fumaria capreolata ; F. officinalis. Cruciferae. Alliaria officinalis (B.); Barbarae vulgaris; Brassica campestris ; Capsella Bursa -pastoris ; Cardamine hirsuta (B.); C. pratensis; Cheiranthus Cheiri (A.); Cochlearia anglica (B. T.), [N. Stat. Ac.]; C. officinalis; Drabaverna; Lepidium campestre; L. latifolium ; Nasturtium officinale ; X. palustre (B.); Raphanus Raphanistrum [Mr F.] ; Sinapis arvensis ; Sysimbrium officinale; S. thalianum; Teesdalia nudicaulis. Resedaceae. Reseda lutea [Leighton] ; R. Luteola (B.), CiSTACEAE. Helianthemum vulgare. YiOLACEAE. Yiola canina ; Y. lutea ; Y. odorata ; Y. tricolor. PoLTGALACEAE. Polygala vulgaris. Caryophyllaceae. Arenaria serpyllifolia ; Cerastium arvense ; C. glomeratum ; C. tetrandrum [Mr F.] ; C. triviale ; Honckenya peploides (B. T.) ; Lychnis diurna; L. Flos-cucuh; L. Githago; L. vespertina; Malachium aquaticum ; Moehringia trinervis; Sagina apetala; S. nodosa; S. procumbens; S. subulata; Silene inflata; Stellaria glauca; S. graminea; S. Holostea; S. media; S. uliginosa. Malvaceae. *Malva moschata (A. and B.) ; M. rotundifolia (A. and B.) ; M. sylvestris. TiLiACEAE. *Tilia europaea (B.). Hypericaceae. * Hypericum calycinum (N.); H. dubium; H. hirsutum; H. humifusum; H. perforatum; H, pulchrum; H. quadrangulum. Geraniaceae. Erodium cicutarium (B.) ; Geranium columbin- um (B.), [Leighton] ; G. dissectum; G. lucidum (N.), [Mr F.] ; G. molle; G. pratense (B. T.); G. robertianum; G. sylvaticum [N. Stat. Ac] APPENDIX. 341 LiNACEAE. Linum catharticum (B. T,); Radiola Millegrana. OxALiDACEAE. Oxalis Acetosella. Legumixosae. Anthyllis Vulneraria; Astragalus hypoglottis; *Latliyrus latifolius (G.); L. macrorliizus; L. pratensis; Lotus corniculatus ; L. major ; Medicago lupulina ; Melilotus officinalis ; Ononis arvensis; Sarothamnus scoparius; Trifolium arvense; T. medium; T. minus; T. pratense: T. procumbens; T. repens; T. striatum (Fincraigs), [Mr F.] ; Ulex europaeus ; ViciaCracca; V. liirsuta; V. latbyroides; V. Orobus; V. sativa; Y. sepium. RoSACEAE. Agrimonia Eupatoria (B. T. and B.) ; Alcbemilla arvensis ; A. vulgaris ; Comarum palustre ; Crataegus Oxyacantba ; Fragaria vesca ; Geum intermedium (B.), [Mr F.] ; G. rivale; G. urbanum; Potentilla anserina; P. reptans; P. Tormentilla; Prunus avium (B.); P. communis (B. T.) ; Pyrus aucuparia ; Rosa canina ; R. rubiginosa ; R. spinosissima ; R. tomentosa ; R. villosa ; Rubus caesius ; R. Idaeus; R. plicatus; R. saxatilis; * Spiraea sal- icifolia; S. Ulmaria. Onagraceae. Circaea Lutetiana; Epilobium hirsutum; E. montanum ; E. palustre ; E. parviflorum ; E. tetragonum. PoRTULACACEAE. Montia fontana. Parontchiaceae, Lepigonum rubrum ; L. marinum ; Scleran- tbus annuus ; Spergula arvensis. Crassulaceae. Sedum acre; S. reflexum; S. Rhodiola; S. Telephium ; *Sempervivum tectorum. Saxifragaceae. Chrysosplenium oppositif olium ; Saxifraga granulata. Umbelliferae. Aegopodium Podagraria ; Aetliusa Cynapium ; Angelica sylvestris; Anthriscus sylvestris; Bunium flexuosum; *Carmii Carui; Chaerophyllum temulum; Conium maculatum; Daucus Carota ; Heracleum Sphondylium ; Hydrocotyle vulgaris ; Myrrbis odorata ; Oenanthe crocata ; Pimpinella Saxifraga ; Sani- cula europaea (B.); Scandix Pecten-Veneris ; Torilis Antbriscus. Araliaceae. Hedera Helix. Caprifoliaceae. Lonicera Periclymenum ; Sambucus nigra. RuBiACEAE. Asperula odorata; Galium Aparine; G. crucia- tum ; G. palustre ; G. saxatile ; G. uliginosum ; G. verum ; Sber- ardia arvensis. Valeriaxaceae. Yeleriana officinalis; *y. pyrenaica (B.); Valerianella dentata ; Y. olitoria. 342 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. DiPSACACEAE. Knautia arvensis ; Scabiosa succisa. CoMrosiTAE. Achillaea Millefolium ; A. Ptarmica ; Antennaria dioica; Anthemis arvensis [Mr F.] ; Apargia autumnalis; A. his- pida; Arctium ma jus; Artemisia maritima (B. T.), [N. Stat. Ac] ; A. vulgaris; Aster Tripolium ; Bellis perennis ; Carduus arvensis ; C. acanthoides (B. T.), [Mr F.] ; C. lanceolatus; C. nutans; C. palustris ; Centaurea Cyanus ; C. nigra ; C. scabiosa ; Chrysanthe- mum Leucauthemum ; C. segetum; Crepis paludosa; C. virens; *Doronicimi Pardalianches ; Eupatoriima cannabinum (B, T.); Filago germanica ; F. minima (N.), [Mr F.] ; Gnaphalium sylvati- cum ; G. uliginosum ; *Hieracium aurantiacum (B.) ; H. murorum ; H. Pilosella ; H. vulgatum ; Lapsana communis ; Leontodon Tar- axacum; L. palustre; Matricaria inodora; M. Parthenium; Pet- asites vulgaris; Senecio Jacobaea; *S. saracenicus (G.); S. sylvaticus; S. viscosus ; S. vulgaris; Solidago Yirgaurea (B.); Sonchus asper; S. oleraceus; Tanacetum vulgare (A.); Tussilago Farfara. Campakulaceae. Campanula glomerata ; C. latifolia (B.) ; C. rapunculoides ; C. rotundifolia. Ericaceae. Calluna vulgaris ; Erica cinerea ; E. Tetralix ; Pyrola minor. Yaccineaceae. Yaccinium Myrtillus. Aquifoliaceae. Ilex Aquifolium. Apocynaceae. *Yiuca major. Gentianaceae. Menyanthes trifoliata. CoN\'OLVULACEAE. Convolvulus arvensis ; C. sepium. BORAGINACEAE. Echium vulgare ; Lithospermum arvense ; Lycopsis arvensis ; Myosotis arvensis ; M. palustris ; M. sylvatica ; M. versicolor ; ^Symphytum oflBcinale. ScROPHULAPJACEAE. Digitalis purpurea. Euphrasia odontites ; E. officinalis ; *Linaria Cymbalaria ; L. vulgaris ; Melampyrum pratense (B.) ; Pedicularis palustris ; P. sylvatica ; Rhinanthus Crista-galli ; Scrophularia aquatica ; S. nodosa ; S. vernalis ; Veronica agrestis ; Y. Anagallis ; Y. arvensis ; Y. Beccabunga ; Y. Chamaedrys ; Y. hederifolia ; Y. officinalis ; Y. scutellata ; Y. Berpyllifolia. Labiatae. Ajuga reptans ; Calamintha Clinopodium (B.) ; Galeopsis Tetrahit ; G. versicolor ; Lamium album ; L. amplexi- caule ; L. intermedium ; *L. maculatum ; L. purpureum ; Mentha APPENDIX. 343 aquatica ; M. arvensis; M. piperita; M. rotundifolia (B.) ; Nepeta Glechoma; Prunella vulgaris; Scutellaria galericulata (B.); Stachys arvensis ; S. palustris ; S. sylvatica ; Teucrium Scoro- donia ; Thymus Chamaedrys. Lentibulariaceae. Pinguicula vulgaris (B.). Ppjmulaceae. Anagallis arvensis ; Glaux maratima (B. T.) ; Lysimacliia nemorum (B.) ; Primula elatior [X. Stat. Ac.] ; P. veris (Scurr) ; P. vulgaris. Plantaginaceae. Plantago Coronopus ; P. lanceolata ; P. major ; P. maritima. Chenopodiaceae. Atriplex hastata ; A. littoralis ; Chenopod- ium album ; C. Bonus-Henricus (A.) ; C. polyspermum. Polygonaceae. Polygonum amphibium ; P. aviculare ; P. Bistorta (B.) ; P. convolvulus ; P. Hydropiper ; P. Persicaria ; Rumexacetosa ; C. Acetosella ; R. crispus ; R. maritimus (B. T.) [N. Stat. Ac] ; R. obtusifolius ; R. palustris ; R. sanguineus. Thymeleaceae. *Dapline Laureola. Empetraceae. Empetrum nigrum. Euphorbiaceae. Euphorbia helioscopia; E. paralias [N. Stat. Ac] ; E. peplus ; Mercurialis perennis. Urticaceae. Parietaria diffusa (A.); Urtica dioica; U. urens. Callitrichaceae. Callitriche verna [Mr F.]. Amentiferae. Betula alba ; Corylus Avellana (B.) ; Fagus syl- vatica; Populus tremula [Mr F.]; Salix capraea; S. repens; S. Btipularis; S. viminalis. Orchidaceae. Epipactis latifolia (B.); Listera ovata (B.); Orchis latifolia; 0. maculata; 0. mascula. Iridaceae. Iris Pseudacorus. Amaryllidaceae. *Galanthus nivalis. LiliaCEAe. Allium ursinum (B.) ; A. vineale (B. T.) ; Conval- laria majalis (B.) ; Endymion nutans; *Muscari racemosum; *Tulipa sylvestris (A.). JuNCACEAE. Juncus acutiflorus; J. bufonius; J. compressus; J. conglomeratus ; J. effusus; J. glaucus ; J. lamprocarpus ; J. squarrosus; J. supinus; Luzula campestris; L. multiflora; L. congesta; L. pilosa; L. sylvatica. Alismaceae. Alisma Plantago [N. Stat. Ac]; Triglochin maritimum; T. palustre. CYPEP.ACEAE. Carex distans; C. disticha (Fincraigs mill-dam), 344 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. [MrF.]; C. flava; C. fulva; C. glauca; C. hirta; C. limosa; C. ovaKs (Glebe), [Mr F.]; C.panicea; C. praecox; C. pulicaris (B. T.), [MrF.]; C. stellulata; C. vulgaris; C, vulpina; Eleocharis multicaulis ; E. palustris; Eriophorum angustifolium ; Scirpus lacustris; S. maritimiis. (B. T.); S. setaceus (B. T.), [Mr F.]; S. sylvaticus (B.). Gramixeae. Agrostis alba; A. canina; A. vulgaris (B. T.) ; Aira caespitosa; A caryophyllea [Mr F.] ; A. flexuosa [Mr F.] ; A. praecox; Alopecurus bulbosus; A. fulvus; A. geniculatus; A. pratensis ; Anthoxanthum odoratum ; Arrhenatherum avenaceum ; Avena pratensis; Brachyopodium sylvaticum (B. T.), [Mr F.] ; Briza media ; Bromus asper ; B. sterilis ; Cynosurus cristatus ; Dactylis glomerata; Festuca broraoides; F. ovina; F. duriuscula fMr F.]; Glyceria aquatica; G. fluitans; Holcus lanatus; H. mollis; Hordeum maritimum (B. T.), [N. Stat, Ac] ; H. murinum (A.); Koeleria crestata [Mr F.] ; *Lolium italicum ; L. perenne; Milium effusum (B.) ; Nardus stricta; Phalaris arundinacea; Pbleum pratense; Phragmites communis (B.); Pda annua; P. nemoralis ; P. pratensis ; P. trivialis ; Serrafalcus commutatus ; S. mollis ; Triticum repens. Equisetaceae. Equisetum arvense ; E. limosum; E. palustre. FiLiCES. Asplenium Adiantum-nigrum ; A. Ruta-muraria ; A. Trichomanes; A. Filix-foemina ; A. convexum; Blechnum boreale ; Botrychiiun Lunaria (G.) ; Cystopteris dentata; C. fragilis (B.) ; Lastraea Filix-mas; L. spinulosa (B.); L. dilatata; Polypodium Dryopteris (Rocks at Bottomcraig) ; P. vulgare; Polystichum aculeatmn; P. angulare (B.); Pteris aquilina; Scolopendrium vulgare (B.). [The New Statistical Account gives also the following names of plaits: — Triticum Loliaceum (B. T); Statice Armeria (B. T.).] No. IV. UST OF THE ABBOTS OF BALMERINO. I. — ^Regular Abbots. I. Alan I., Appointed 1229, Died 1236. 11. Ralph, Elected 1236, „ 1251. III. John, „ 1251, Resigned 1252. APPENDIX. 345 IV. Adam I., Elected 1252, Resigned 1260. Y. Adam IL, 1260, Died 1270. VI. William de Perisbt 1270, He (?) died 1281. VII. Thomas ?, 1281. VIII. William II., Mentioned 1296. IX. Alan II., 1317. X. Hugh, 1368. XI. John de Haylis, 1408 to 1485. XII. Richard, 1441 to 1459. XIII. Robert, 1526 to 1559. II. — Commendatory Abbots. I. John Hay, Appointed 1561 ?, Died 1573. II. rHENRY Kinneir, III. (John Kinneir, 1573, Deprived 1600. 158l| Died between 1598 and 1604. IV. Robert Auchmuty, 1604, Resigned 1605. No. V. LIST OF THE MINISTERS OF BALMERIXO FROM THE REFORMATION. 1. Mr Archibald Keith, admitted . . . 1560. 2. Mr Patrick Auchinleck, mentioned 1571 to . 1576. 3. Mr Thomas Douglas of Stonypath, mentioned . 1578. Died between June 1632 and August . . 1634. 4. Mr Walter Greig, admitted Assistant and Successor to Mr Douglas about 1622 ; died . . 1672. 6. Mr Andrew Bruce, admitted .... 1673. 6. Mr Ja:^ies Gairns or Garden, admitted . . 1676. Translated to Carnbee 1678. 7. Mr George Hay, admitted .... 1678. 8. ^Ir John Auchterlony, outed .... 1689. (Was afterwards minister of Fordun.) 9. Mr Andrew Bowie, admitted .... 1690. Translated to Ceres 1692; and to North Leith 1697. (Vacancy for nearly four years.) 346 BALMERIXO AND ITS ABBEY. 10. Mr James Hay, admitted 1696; died . . . 1752. 11. Mr Thomas Kerr, admitted Assistant and Successor to Mr Hay 1722 ; died 1741. 12. Mr Tho^lvs Stark of Ballindean, admitted . 1742. Died 1772. 13. Mr John Stark of BalUndean, admitted . . 1773. Demitted 1781. 14. Mr Andrew Thomson, admitted 1782 ; died . 1836. 15. Mr John Thomson, admitted Assistant and Successor 1824. Died 1857. 16. The present incumbent, admitted 10th Dec. . 1857. Xo. VI. LIST OF THE SCHOOLMASTERS OF BALMEPJXO FROM THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PARISH SCHOOL. [See page 191.] 1. Mr jAiiES SiBBALD, Appointed 1641, Mentioned 1649. 2. Mr John Wyllie, „ 1657, Died 1705. 3. Mr Robert TVyllie, son) . r^r.^ of the last, I " 1^^^- 4. Mr William Jack, 5. Mr TTiLLL^i Dow, 6. Mr TViLLiAii Arthur,) student in divinity, ) 7. Mr John Gow, music) master in Cupar, ) 8. Mr Myles, 9. Mr Alexander Broavn, 10. Mr George Gourl.\y, 11. Mr George Paton, 12. Mr Andrew Gray, 13. ^tr DA^^D Paton, 14. Mr Willlam Ballingall, 7» 1712, Mentioned 1718. )» 1729. 1? 1731. ?» 1732. Mentioned 1737 to 1742. Appointed 1742. 5> 1744. ?5 1755, Demitted 1762. »> 1763. )) 1781. »> 1830. APPENDIX. . 347 No. YII. ALIENATION OF THE ABBEY LANDS. [Referred to at page 122.] [In Appendix, No. XXV''. will be found the dates of the aliena- tion of the Abbey lands in this Parish. We subjoin notes of sev- eral lands situated elsewhere, which were feued before the Reformation ; but there are others, the particulars of which we have not ascertained. The names set down in the Abbey Rental (Appendix, No. IX.) seem to be, in many cases, those of the original feuars, and wiU thus in some measure supplement the deficiencies in the following list. It may be mentioned that a sum of money was usually paid to the Convent by way of pur- chase-money, besides the reddendo which, in addition to a pay- ment in money, poultry, &c., usually included three suits of attendance annually by the feuars at as many Head Courts of the Abbot, either at Balmerino or at Barry.] The lands and village of Pitgorno must have been feued before 1526, since in that year Thomas Scott obtained from his father Sir Wnham Scott of Balweary, a charter of them, the reddendo to be paid to Abbot Robert and his successors. This was con- finned under the Great Seal in 1551. In 1529 Andrew Kinloch in Luthrie got a charter from the Abbot and Convent of the lands of Wester Kinneir. Confirmed under the Great Seal in 1542. The reddendo to be £10, and £4 of augmentation, with three suits at three Head Courts at Balmerino Abbey. (In Nisbet's "Heraldry" the purchase-money and reddendo are said to be " 200 merks and the upholding the walls of the Abbacy," the latter part, at least, of which statement is quite incorrect.) Tor Catholach (Kedlock) seems to have been still in the pos- session of the Convent in 1559, but to have been soon afterwards feued to the Kinneirs of that Ilk. In 1532 John Auchinleck obtained from the Abbot and Convent a charter and sasine of Woodhill, Easter Coitside, four acres of Wester Coitside, and the lands called Piiestmeadow — "in the 348 BALMERINO AXD ITS ABBEY. barony of Barrie " — the reddendo to be 28 merks Scots, 12 capons, 14 geese, and 12 poultry, as the farm duty payable before the granting of the feu, with 10 merks in augmentation — and the labouiiug yearly an acre of land of their meadow of Barry after the hay was taken off it, with arriage and carriage for the said 4 acres of Coitside, and three suits to three Head Courts of the Barony of Bany, &c. Confirmed by the Pope's Commissioner at St Andrews, the 8th of Oct., 1532; and by the Crown to John Auchinleck's successor in 1590. Eavensby was feued in 1539. Pitskellie was feued in the time of Abbot Robert. In 1541 Gedhall or Doghall was feued to David Garden. In 1550 these lands were resigned, and again feued to Thomas Gar- dyne, son of Patrick Gardyne of that Ilk. In 1545 Walter Cant got a charter from the Abbey of half the Links of Barry and Cowbyres, with the parsonage and vicarage tithes. The purchase-money was 200 merks, and the reddendo £28 Scots, and three suits at three Head Courts at Balmerino Abbey. In 1552 Robert Forrester got a charter of the other half of Links of Barry, &c., with tithes ; also of the lands of Budden, Links of the same, and Deyhouse. The reddendo included the duty of furnisliing a house to the Abbot and his representatives when they came to keep their Courts there. Confirmed in 1554 by the Archbishop of St Andi^ews as Papal Legate. Xo. VIII. EXTRACT FROM ADMIRAL Wl^NDHAM'S DESPATCH TO LORD GREY, dated 27th December 1547. [Referred to at page 118.] " This is to advertyse yo'" L. that the xxv of decembre at nyght I londed w^^ iij'^ men w^*^ the harquebusyers you sent at an Abbey beyond Dundee caUed Balmoryne w'^^ was very stronge if thay had purposed to have kept it, notwithstanding I skyrmyshed at the howse w*^ the Skotts, and thay shott w^ harquebushes of APPENDIX. 349 Croke at mee, notwithstanding we kylled iiij of the Skotts bejing horsemen with our harquebushes and bornt the Abbey with all thyngs that wer in it and certayn vyllages adioyning to y*^ w**^ a gret dele of come, and I trust yo"" L. shall know that I wyll lese no tyme as oportunyte shall find here or ells where . . . "Wrytten in the ryver of Teye the xxvij of December. " Yours to Command, " Thos. ^yndham." Note. — There is another despatch of the same date from Wynd- ham to Somerset, in which the attack on Balmerino Abbey is related in terms almost identical with the above.] No. IX. RENTAL OF THE ABBAY OF BALMERINOTH. (From a MS. in the Advocates' Library.)* [This Rental belongs to the period of Henry Kinneir's Com- mendatorship : the precise year is uncertain. Most, if not all of the lands &c. specified were feued to the persons named, and the rents are feu-duties. "We have transposed the oi'der of many of the entries in the Fife division, so as to bring together all the lands in Balmerino Parish, and in its several localities respective- ly. Several poilions of Abbey land in this Parish are wanting in the Rental] L — In the County of Fife. The Maner place of Balmerino of old called y^ Abbay y'of w* the clausure and precinct of y® same w* y® garden and orch- yeard and Kirk yeard of y® s*^ convent set to Henry Commenda- tor of Balmerinoth for 2 li. 13s. 9d. The Wood of Balmerino w* the salmond fishing called Bamden fishing and teinds included set to Kinneir and his spouse for 10 H. (Set to Geo. Lermouth of Balcomie for 10 m. 4 dozen of red sahnond and 1 dozen grilses sold at 10 m.) * The Author has to thank George Hunter Thorns, Esq., for procuiiug for him a copy of this document. 350 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. Four acres of Bamcroft and piece land annext y^'to with y* teinds included set to him for 1 li. 13s. 4d. The Green of Balmerino with j^ yeard &c. set to him for 1 li. 6s. 8d. The milne called the Overmilne w' multures w* the byre Kill- barne milyeard &c. set to him for 4 li. 13 s. 4d. The arable yeards of Balmerinoch ex"^ to 4 alters of land w* y® fruit yeard and house called y« burnt Girnell w'^ teynds in- cluded ex'^ to 53s. 4d. & 7s. 8d, for ilk aiker of 5 aikers in TVod- flatt 4 aikers in Harlands and four aikers in Crossfaulds And for Bamyeards 2s. set to y« s*^ Jo° Kinneir for 7 li. 6s. 8d. Four aikers of land of Harland and TTodflatt set to him for 1 li. 18s. 4d. and 10 puld. The piia^ milne called the Xewmilne and kylle y'^of w* mult" sucken and gii-st of y^ haill barony of Balmerinoth set in feu to David Kinneir broy' to Henry Abbot of Balmerinoth for 3 li. Is. 4d. Four oxgate of arable land of y* North part of y^ maynes of Balmerinoth w* houses biggins and teinds included set in feu to Wilson for 3 li. 2s. 4d. 11 boUs bear 11 boUs oatmeal. For the teinds 2 bolls bear 2 bolls oatmeal 4 bolls horsecorn and lis. of augmentatione. The lands aikers and miln underwr^ lying in y® barony of Bal- merinoth set to Alex'^ Mathew viz. That part of y® mains lying at y« north part of y^ same ext. to 2 1. 12s. 2d. 2 b. 1 firl. wheat 8 b. 2 firl. bear 6 bolls 2 firl. oatmeal 3 b. horsecorn 2 pons (?) wheat 1 firl. bear 1 firl. oatmeale & 2s. 6d. of augmentation — Four aikei-s lying besyde Peter Crichton's land ext. to 10 puld. & 33s. 4d. The Nethermilne of Balmerinoth with multures & girst of y* barony of Balmerinoth set for 40s. and 10s. of augmentation. Ane piece of land called St Taills Chapell w* Kisle [kyln ?, or kirk ?] aiker set to Beaton of BaKour for 1 li. The croft & yard occupied be Elleis DanzeU lying besyde y* s"^ monastery set to Ramsay for 6s. Sex aikers of land of Skurbank in y^ barony of Balmerinoth set to Thomas Fender indweller in Ed"" for feu & augm. 2 li. 6s. 8d. Four aikers of land of Skurbank set to Tullois for 1 li. 18s. 8d. 8 puld. w^ arriage and carriage used and wont. 1 APPENDIX. 351 Ane aiker of land called Skurbank set to Tullois for 7s. 8d. The eist or sonny half aiker of arable land of Boghall set to him [for] 3s. lOd. & 1 puld. The west or shadow halfe of y* west aiker of arable land of Boighall set to Ballingall for 1 puld. & 3s. lOd. Twa part of Dnmihary & Bodincraig w* 8 aikers y' & teinds in- cluded in y^ barony of Bahnerinoth set for 1 boll 2 f. wheat 4 bolls 2 firl. beir 2 b. 1 fir. oatmeal 2 bolls horsecom. The teinds included set for two firls. wheat 2 b. 3 firls. bear 1 boll 2 firl. oat- meal 2 hirss of straw 35s. 4d. of money. The saids 8 aikers set for 53s. 4d. of money 16 puld. The teynd sh. y''of set for 4 bolls beir & 6s. 9d. of money. The twae part of Driunhary & Bodin- craig of augmenta*^ If. bear 1 firl. meale 2s. 8d. of money 8s. of augm. for y« 8 aikers. Inde 2 bolls wheat 11 bolls 2 f. bear 4 b. oatmeal 2 b. horsecom 2 hirss of straw 16 puld. & 5 1. 6s. 8d. (?) of money. Two aikers of Bodincraig in y^ bar. of Bahnerinoth set to Wat- son for 4 puld. & 15s 4d. The Lands of Bodincraig ex*^ to 5 aikers or y''by lying in Scur- bank set to Buttour for 10 puld. & 1 li. 18s. Five aikers of land of Bodincraig in y^ barony of Bahnerinoth set to Ramsay for 10 puld. & 1 li. lis. Id. The lands underwri"^ set to And. "Wilson viz. Ane third p* of y* lands of Drumharie & Bodincraig &c. except two aikers — 17s. 8d. 2b. 3 f . bear 2 b. 1 f. aitmeal 1 boll horsecom 1 hirss of stray & 2 pons (?) of bear 2 pons (?) of aitmeale & 16s. of aug- ment°«. The lands of park of Poyntok for 10s. & 20s. of augmentatione 1 h. 10s. The lands of Craigingrugisfauld 8 puld & 1 li. 7s. The 3 aikers in Harlands and 1 in Wodflat 8 puld & 1 li. 10s. 8d. Four ' aikei-s lying in Harlands and TVodflatt and teynds in y* parochin of Bahnerinoth set to Thomson for 8 puld. & 1 H. 13s. 4d. Four acres of Barncroft ext. to 26s. 8d. 8 puld. and 4s. of augm. Ane piece land beneath y* saids aikers exd. to 2s. 8d. The teind sh. y^'of ext. to 2 bolls bear & 2 hirss of straw set to Durham. Inde 33s. 4d. 8 puld. 2 b. bear 2 hirss of stray in y*s^ barony. 352 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. The lands of Cathills set for 8 1. and fishing of sahnond and o^^ fish set for 23 1. 4s. 4d. set in feu to Balfour of Ballednoeh for 31 1. 4s. 4d. Two aikers of land in y^ town of Dochoren lying in y® barony of Balmerinoth set in feu to Hai-rie for 4 puld. & 15s. 4d. Ane aiker of land of Docheron set to Jon. Foulls for 1 U. 6 puld. & OS. 4d. of augmentatione. Two aikers of ye toun & lands of Docheron in y* barony of Balmeiinoth set to Watson for 4 puld. & 15s 4d. Sex aikers of Docheron set to Coline for 12 puld. & 46s. The lands of Pitmossie set to Bayn for 10 puld. & 2 li. The lands and towne of Newgrange the 4th p* of Clackmuyes Clench and Battilaw halflands of Crowfaulds 1 aiker of Cultray 4th p^ of y^ outfield lands of Byres lying in y* barony of Bal- merinoth set to Balfour for 24 1. 16s. 6d. The 4th part of y® toune and lands of Xewgrange in the Ba- rony of Balmerinoth set to Oliphant for 69 li. The halfe lands and toune of Xewgrange of Balmerinoth w* two aikers of y* rest of y® same. Two aikers of y® toune and lands of Cultrey. The half of y^ lands of Outfield of Byres with AVatersfauld w*^ o^^ 4 aikers of Cultray. The lands of Ban- goifF ext^ to 13 aikers 3 aikers of Harlands ane aiker in Wod- flatt. And lands of Dutheron ext. to 16 aikers of land set to Ramsay for 51 li. 6s. 8d. Four aikers of land of y® toun of Cultray in y* barony of Bal- merinoth set in feu to Lichton for 8 puld. & 1 li. 10s. 4d. Ten aikers of arable land in y^ toune of Cultrey set to Wood for 4 1. 13s. 8d. Twa aikers of Cultrey set to BaUingall of Bodincraig for 15s. 4d. & 4 puld. Seven aikers of Cultrey set to Rolland for 14 puld. & 2 1. 13s. 4d. Ten aikers of land of y^ toun of Cultrey set to Ramsay for 20 puld. & 3 1. 16s. 8d. The equal h?alfe of 7 aikers of arable land of Cultrey set to Ramsay for 7 puld. & 1 li. 6s. lOd. Seven aikere of Cultrey set to Bayn for 53s. 4d. and 14 puld. Sex aikers of Cultrey &c. set to Barclatt for 46s. and 12 puld. The lands of Corbe and Corbehill and 8 aikers adjacent & APPENDIX. 353 teinds included w* fishings &c. set to Lermonth of Balcomie for 10 li. 32 bolls bear 26 bolls of meUl or 8 m. per chalder—inde 29 li. 6s. 8d. The lands of TVester [or] little Kinneir set to Patersone for feu and augm. 14 1. 3s. 4d. Certain lands in y* toune and territory of Carrail set to Lums- den for 8s. 4d. The lands of Gastoun set to "Wood of Largo's son for 3 1. 6s. 8d. The lands of Gadroon [Gadvan ?] vnth. houss set to Beaton of Creich for 6 1. 13s. 4d. The lands of the toune of Johnestoun set to the Laird of Creich for 12 capons & 17 H. 6s. 8d. The lands of Craigfood with mansion &c. in y« barony of pit- gorno set to Douglasse of Lochlearin for 14 capons & 13 1. 6s. 8d, The haKe toune and lands of Kincraigie w* Mansion house set to Maxwell for 8 capons & 8 li. The halfe lands of Kincraigy in y® barony of pitgormo set to AUardice for 8 capons & 8 li. The lands of Steidmureland viz. y® haill halfe of y^ same w* tenements &c. lq y^ barony of pitgormo set to Seaton for 3 puld. & 3 H. Ane piece land w* house &c. w* y® aiker or lands of y« chapell of St Mary y* Virgin of den (?) lying besyde y® Gaitsyd in y® barony of Pitgormo Lop. of Balmerinoth and set to Eliz** Beaton for 4s. 4d. The Lands of Drumdell vnth. Mansion &c. in y® barony of Pit- gormo set to Limdie of Balgonie for 10 li. The Lands of CarpuUie lying betwixt the lands of dunmuir and Quarrelhop on the ane and o^'"^ parts set to Cant for 2 1. 13s. 4d. and 6 capons. The lands of Lochymilne w* the nulne and loch y''of lying in y® barony of Abernethie set to Young for 12 puld. & 6 1. 13s. 4d. IL In the Countt of Forfae, The lands of Wodhill set to Auchinleck of TTodsyd for 12 capons & 12 pult. & 17 1. 6s. 8d. The lands of Godhall and teinds included and ane acker of land z // 354 BALMERINO AXD ITS ABBEY. occupied be uinq^® And. Shepherd In ye barony of Bame set in feu to Gordon for 8 1. 13s. 4d. The 3*^ part of Balskellie w* housses &c. In the barony of Barrie set to Strathauchin for 6 1. 6s. 8d. & 16 capons. The 3*^ part of Balskelly set to Carnegie of Kynnaird for 6 li. The peice of land called Leyis croft and burtons croft In y^ barony of Barrie set to Auchinleck of Coitsyd for 30s. 12 puld. & 6 geise. The salmon fishing of fFerry durris caUed y« west frink (?) lying on y^ northsyd of Taywater set to Lovell of Ballumbies son for 7 H. w* 3s. 4d. of augmentatione. The lands called Coitwalls and 2 ackers of land in Cotsyd held feu for 40s. and 6 puld. Easter Coitsyd wester Coitsyd preistmeadow Lowls croft largos croft St. Stevins croft and peice of land called Dunsbank set to Auchinleck for 12 li. 15s. 8d. & 12 geise. Half e of y* lands of Ravensbie w* y® p*^ & teind sheaves for 5 li. of main and 46s. 8d. in augmentation. And y^ 3*^ part of y® lands of y® town of Baskelly In y® barony of Barrie for 4 li. 8s. 2d. 16 capons & 31s. lOd. of augm. set to Cant ext. in haiU to 13 li. 6s. 8d. 16 capons. The halflands of Eavinsbie & 4*^^ part of y^ lands of Links of Barrie In y® baiTony of Barrie set to Cant of Cowbyre for 17 li. 16s. 8d. The nethermilne and lands y^'of w* y® halfe of y^ multures & teind miiltiu'e corne of y® hail barronie of Barrie set to GHzeott for 7 li. 6. 8. 12 geise & half ane aiker of Haywinning. 15 aikers of land in Badliill piece land called Salterscroft & overmidow w* teinds set to Cant for 5 li. 30 puld. & 1 acker of Haywinning. The halfe lands of y® Links of Barrie w* teinds of ye lands of Buddon links y^of and teinds set to fForester for 27 li. 13s. 4d. The 3^ part of Grange of Barrie set to EoUand for 6 li. & 12 capons. The 3*^ part of y^ town and lands y'"of. set to him for 12 li. and 24 capons. The lauds of Links of Barrie w* y^ ptinents viz. The half of the lands of Saltgerse alias Shepherds lands the halfe of 4 aikers called Bowmans lands the halfe lands called Corsefauld Halfe lands called Ryfaulds and half of the walleys and pasturage The APPENDIX. 355 halfe of j^ tofts barns &c. w* y^ teinds &c. And Cowbyre w*' y« meadow & teynds y^'of except y* teinds due to the vicar Set to Cant for viz. ffor y« links 20 li. & 20 s. of aug. Cowbyre 6 li. 13s. 4d. & 6s. 8d. Inde 28 li. Thrie ackers of land of Ban-ie with housses and croft called St. Merinos croft lyand besyde y® lands of Kirkton of Bame set to fforester for 17s. And sustaining yearly bread & wyne to the high altar of y^ paroch church of Barrie. The lands of Baddihill w^ housses set to Gray for 4 h. 8s. The liaKe lands of Ravinsbie & Cruikhill (?) w* the corn milne of Barrie milne lands & haK multur of y^ barony of Barrie set to Clerk for 17 H. 13s. 4d. 12 geise 6 puld. half ane acker of Hay- winning. Certain aikers besyde the Kii'k of Barrie Burnsyde The aiker called ^[m-gaU &c. & teinds included set to Auchinleck for 6s. 8d. & 6 bolls 6 (?) fii^lots bear. The two part of Grange of Barrie 10s. land of ye same 9 aikers of badiliiU And toim and lands of Carnusie set to ffaimy for 25 li. 2s. 24 capons 20 puld. ffour aikers of land of Milneden w* privilidge of Baiking & brewing set to Rankin for 36s. 8d. 8 puld. half ane aiker of Hay- winning. The haill reid fish fishing of y^ barony of Barrie set to LessUe for 47 hb. fFour aikers of land & ane halfe of y^ lands of Barrie q^ TV™ fforester sometyme occupied set to Johnstoun for 40s. & 6 puld. III. In the County of Perth. The haKe lands of Xether Aberargie w* the mansiones housses tofts crofts & y^ p*^ with ane tennement and yeards lyeand on the northe p*^ of the street of Abernethie In the reg. of Abernethie & sheriffdome of pearth set to peter CarmichiU in Dron for 8 lib. The lands of over and west polgaigny (?) with y^ pertinents set to lohn TVeymes bro^^ germane to Patrick Weymes of petbla for 6 lib. 13s. 4d. cappones 12. The fishings of Stocking garth with the p*^ upon the watter of Tay set to James Campbell of lawers exd. in meaU to 40 Kb. aug. 10 Ub. Inde 50 lib. k 356 BALMERIXO AND ITS ABBEY. Xo. X. YALUATIOX of the TEMPORAL LANDS of the ABBACY OF BALMERINOCH, within the Shire of Fife, in 1596; according to the '^ OLD EXTENT." [From Thomson's " Inquisitionmn Retomatorum Abbreviatio," in 3 vols. fol. ; 1811.] [There is probable evidence that lands in Scotland were " ex- tended," or valued, as early as the time of "William the Lion ; but the first general valuation is understood to have been made in the reign of Alexander IIL, for the purpose of raising a tax to pay a tocher of 14,000 merks sterling to the Princess Margaret on her marriage to Eric, King of Norway. This was afterwards called the *' Old Extent." Another valuation, called the " New Extent," was made in 1424, for raising £30,000 sterhng for the hberation of James L from his nineteen years' captivity in England. The Old Extent, however, continued as the rule for proportioning the pubhc taxes till, at least, 1633, in which year a tax of thirty shillings was imposed on every poimd-land of Old Extent. Other valuations were afterwards made, the rent fixed by which is called the Valued Rent, in contradistinction both to the Old, and the New Extent. (See Appendix, No. XYL) The following Valuation was made at Cupar on the 2d of Feb- ruary 1596 by the Sheriff and a jury, in consequence of a peti- tion presented to the Lords of Council by the feuars of the Abbey lands, praying that their land smight be retoured, so that they might know what pound-land or merk-land their several posses- sions extended to, and that they might pay their taxes according to the rate of other pound-lands of Old Extent. The Return, of course, represents not the real value of the lands at that time, but only their relative value, or the proportion according to which pubHc taxes should be imposed on them. In the original the entries are made in this form : — " Lands of New Grange &c. ex- tend to £5, 6s. 8d. land,"] APPENDIX. 357 Lands of New Grange of Balmerinoch, witli pendicles and pertinents, . . .£568 ,, Corbie, Corbiehill, with the wood of Balmerinoch, with pendicles and per- tinents, 16 8 „ Deminche Park, Pointrik, and 3d part of lands of Boddumcraig, belonging to David Wilson, . . . . 10 „ Boddumcraig, with 8 acres belonging to William BaUingall, . . . . 13 4 „ Kirkton of Balmerinoch, . . . 16 8 „ Coutray, extending to 46 acres of arable land, 15 4 ,, Pitmossie, extending to 5 acres of land, 18 „ Bandene, „ 12 „ 4 „ Bangoiff, „ 13 „ 4 4 „ Duchrone, ,, 30 acres of arable land, 10 „ Kilbumis and Scrogieside, 21 acres of land, 7 ,, Scur, extending to 11 acres of land, . 3 8 „ Infield of Boddumcraig, extending to 26 acres of land, 8 8 ,, Bjres of Balmerinoch, extending to 30 acres of arable land, . . . . 10 „ Craigfod, 16 8 ,, Johnestoun and Gadwen, . , . 16 8 ,, Gawstoun, 10 „ DrumdeiU, 13 4 „ Pitgorno, 2 13 4 ,, FreuTnylne, 13 4 ,, Kincraigie, . . . , . . 16 8 „ Steidmuirland, 10 Lands and mylne of Lochmylne, . . . . 10 Lands of Carpullie, 6 8 „ Little Kinneir, with their pertinents, . 16 8 £23 11 4* * A copy of this document was kindly procured for the Author by William Pagan, Esq. of Claytoun. 358 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. This valuation does not include the Abbey precincts, gardens, &c., which belonged to the spirituaUty. Sibbald's History of Fife contains a Eetiim of the Old Extent of Fife in 1517. The following items extracted from it, together with the above valua- tion of the Abbey lands, complete the Old Extent of this parish, excepting the Abbey precincts, &c., and Cathills. The barony of Nachtoun in property, . . .£800 The Laird of Kinnaird's lands, and the annual in property, within the barony of Xachtoun, . . 8 No. XL PETER HAY'S ADDRESS TO KING JAZ^IES YI. [Referred to at page 272.] EPIGRAilMA AD ReGEM. Cui decus immortale triplex, cuique aurea cingit Gloria conspicuum. Rex Jacobe, caput. Prima tibi antiquae fidei quum cura tuendae, Proxima sit populi paxque salusque tui : Procurat quod utrumque lubens, quod promovet ultro, Quid tibi servitio gratius esse queat : Tale ministerium libro hoc tibi praestat et offert Hayus, ab antiquis nobile germen avis : Quemque suo regem populo caput, et caput unum Dum Christum omnigenis gentibus esse probat : Parendum his solmn, invictis rationibus urget, Quas monmnenta Patrum, sacraque scripta ferunt : Et fugienda lupae Babilonis pociila suadet, Et quae seditio turbida monstra parit : Palantesque reducit oves ad ovile, rebelles Et populos regum flectit ad obsequium : APPENDIX. 359 Dignmn opus ingenio domini, quo munere venim Christigenam, et civem se probat esse bonum : Digniun opus aetemo genio quoque, quern dabit, Rex, Aspirans sacri numinis aura tui. Haec M. E. D. Whieli may be thus translated : — King James ! whom threefold sov'reignty invests "With deathless honour, and whose head, in view Of all, is ynth refulgent glory crowned ; Since thy first care 's to shield the ancient faith. Thy next, to guard thy people's peace and weal ; What service can more grateful be to thee Than willing efforts to promote these aims? Such service, in this book, a Hay presents, The noble scion of an ancient hue. He shows each king to be his people's head, And Christ the King of all the tribes of earth ; And proves from Scripture and Patristic tomes That his commands alone must be obeyed ; Dissuades from cups of wolfish Babylon, And monsters which Sedition, restless, breeds ; Brings back the wandering sheep, and moves Rebellious nations to obey their kings — Fit task for master's skill, whereby he proves Himself a Christian and good citizen — Fit task for deathless genius, which, king ! Thy sacred approbation shall confer. No. XII. TAXT ROLL OF THE ABBACYE OF BALMERINOCH ilk p'l free rent taxt to 1617. [MS. HarL Mus. Brit. 4623, Part H. Art. 17, Fo. 103. Here printed from the " Chartulary of Bahnerino ;" App. No. ; XIL] Grange, . . £48 Halfe Lands of Kirkton, Corbie, . . 12 posestbyEob^Fyfe, £9 10 360 BALMERIXO AND ITS ABBEY. -\- The oy' halfe yof., £6 10 Deminge, . 6 Jonstoiin and Gadden ,16 Lochniilne, 3 Third part of Corbsy , 3 5 Carpowie, . 4 10 Craigfod, . 10 Drmndeill, . 10 Pitgomo, . 14 Friermylne, 5 Kincraigie, . 15 Nether Aberargie, 2 Pilgnnnniies, 7 Little Kinneir, . 10 Gastoun, . 4 WoodhiU, . 20 Cootsyde, . 6 Grange of Barry, 12 Kavensbye, . £10 PitskeUye, . . 15 Camushe, . . 5 Ackers of Barrie Xether and over Barrie muires, . . 20 Teynds of Barrie, 17 10 Teynds of y* Kirk of Balmerinoch, . 40 Teynds of Logie Kirk,20 Fishing of -f GaU of Barry, . . 5 CathiUs, and fishing rof., . . Fishings of Corbie, Fishings of Bamden, Fishings of Paldnant, Stok, and Garth, 16 7 10 10 Sub* by 9 prin^ Fewars and y* Chamberlaine. No. XIII. EXCERPT from COPY RENTAL of the FEU-DUTIES of the BAROXY of BALMERINO, in Sedenmt-Book of High Commission in Teind Office, page 28. [This Rental "was given in by Lord Balmerino to the Commis- sioners for the Valuation of Teinds, in consequence of a Decreet- Arbitral pronounced by Charles L, proceeding upon submis- sions by the Lords of Erection, regarding the surrender of the superiorities of Church Lands. (See the historians of the period.) The Decreet- Arbitral in regard to teinds has been noticed at page 187. This document is here printed from the " Closed Record," &c., quoted at page 265.] APPENDIX. 361 Apud Edinburgh 20 die mensis Maii 1630. The qlk day compeired Johne Bannatyne Depute to the Justice Clerk in name of John Lord Bahnerinoch and James Lord Cow- per and gave in the Rentalls underwrittin, of the qlks the tennour follows : — The trew and just Rentall of the few (fere) ferms and few maillis and other constant Rent of the Superiorities of Bahner- inoch comprehending the Baroneis of Bahnerinoch Pitgormo and Barrie. The Baronie of Balsierixoch. Agnes Gibson Lyferenter and Alexander Barbour heritour of the South Syde of the Kirktoun of Bahnerinoch with the Teinds included pay of few dewtie yeirlie . . . 13". 6^ 8^. Mr Peter Hay of Naughton for the North side thairof with the Teinds mcluded S"**. 13^ Q\ Item of beir . . .13 bollis. Item of oate meale Item of hors come Item of straw Andro Glasfurde of Boddomcraig payes of fewdewtie . Item of wheit „ of beir „ of oate meale ,, of hors come „ of straw Mr Peter Hay of Nauchton for the east haffe of the Grange of Bahnerinoch with the teinds included payes yeirhe 37"''. 10*. 8^. Item of wheit ... 4 bollis. „ of beir .... 9 bollis. ,, of oate meale . . 8 bollis. Michael Balfoure payeth for the three quarters of the T7est side thairof of few dewtie 24"^ Mr Robert Auchinmowtie of Deming payeth for his Soueth quarter of the said West haffe thairof with the teindis in- cluded 12"b. 6^8d. 13 bollis. 4 boUis. 4 turse. for the haiU lands thairoff . 57^ 1 boll 2 firlots. 7 bolls 2 firlots 2 peckes. 5 bolls 2 peckes. 3 boUis. 3 turse. 362 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. Item of wheit ... 1 boll. ,, of beare, ... 2 bollis. „ of oate meale, . . 2 bollis. John Leslie of Xevrton payes for his Landes of Corby w*^ the Teinds included 42^^^^ Igs^ 4d, Mr Ro* Auchinmo\rtie for his lands of Deminge park and Poyntok payeth of fewdewtie 57^ Item of Powtrie ... 8 Mr Peter Hay for his lands and fishing of Cathill payeth of fewde^rtie 31^^. 4^ 4^. The Laird of Creich for his lands of Johnestoun and Gaddan payeth of fewdewtie 34^^. Item of capouns ... 1 dozoun. Andro Patersone of Over Dinmure for his lands of Little Kyn- neir payeth of fewdewtie 24^^ The few dewteis of the aikers within the parochin of Balmer- inoch — viz., Skur .... ellevin aikers. Whereof Mr James Douglas of Stanypeth hes sax, paying of fewdewtie 46^ Item of powtrie . . .12 James Barlatt hath fyve for 38^ 4^. Item of powtrie ... 10 ScROGGiESiDE, sax aikers. Hew Scott payeth for them of few dewtie . . . 46^ Item of powtrie . . .12 KiLBURXES, fyftene aikers, whereof — Alexander Prestoun hath eight aikers, paying . 3"**. 10^. Item of powtrie . . .16 Andro Small hes aires hes sevin, paying . . 53^. 8^. Item of powtrie ... 14 BoDOiiECRAiG, 36 aikers, whereof — Andro Glasfurde hes twentie aikers halfPe aiker, paying thairfor yearhe 1\11\2\ Item of powtrie ... 41 APPENDIX. 363 Andrew Boyter in Dundie fyve, paying . . 38^ 4d. Item of powtrie . 10 George Stirke of Bandene twa aikers, paying. 15^ 4*^. Item of powtrie . 4 ■^Tam "VVatsoim his airis two, paying , . 15«. 4*^. Item of powtrie . 4 Andro Galloway ane aiker, paying . , 1\ 8<^. Item of powtrie . 2 Jolme Roger halffe ane aiker, paying . . 3^ lod. Item of powtrie . 1 The airis of umq^e ^^am Patersoim) for a toft there > 2 dozoun of chickens- Item of po w trie . 1 DouCHRON, 32 airkers, whairof Mr Peter Hay hes saxtein, paying . Item of powtrie ... 32 George Stirk of Bandene three, paying . Item of powtrie ... 6 Williame JBane of Pitmossie three, paying Item of powtrie ... 6 The airis of James "Watsoun two, paying Item of powtrie ... 4 The airis of Henrie Mitchell aucht, paying Item of powtrie . . .16 &^^ . 2' .8^. . • 23^ . • 23^ . 15« . 4^. 3li^ 1« 4^. Bangove, thretten aikers, belonging to Mr Peter Hay of Nauchton and paying . Item of powtrie ... 26 4"^. 19^ 8^. Bandeke, 12 aikers, belonging to George Stirke, paying Item of geis ^Ub 22^ Pitmossie, fyve aikers, belonging to "William Bane elder, paying Item of powtrie . 10 . 40^ 3 64 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. CouLTRA, 50 aikei-s, whairof Mr Peter Hay has foure aikers, paying . . . 30^ S\ Item of powtrie ... 8 "Williame Bane younger hes ten aikers, paying thairfoir yeirlie . . . . . . 3^^. 16'. 8^. Itein of powtrie ... 20 Ckristiane Stirk ten aikers, paying . . 3"^ 16^ 8'*- Item of powtrie ... 20 Jolm Mitchell nyne aikers and ane haffe, paying 3^^. 12^ 10*^. Item of powtrie . . .19 Agnes Demy 13 aikers, paying . . . 4^^ 19^ 8**. Item of powtrie . . .26 Alexander Simpsoun three aikers and ane halffe aiker, paying 26/. lO**. Item of powtrie ... 7 The Byres, 16 aikers, whereof Mr Peter Hay hath three, paying . . . . " 23^ Item of powtrie ... 6 Mr Robert Auchinmoutie foure, paying . .. . 30^ 8*^. Item of powtrie ... 8 Jolm Stanehous in Luthrie foure, paying . , 3^. 4'. Item of powtrie ... 8 Item he hath another aiker holdin blenche. Eobert Brabawar foure aikers, paying . . . 30^ 8*^. Item of powtrie ... 8 No. XIV. VALUATIONS OF THE TEINDS OF THE PARISH OF BALMERIXOCH, 13th July 1631. [From Certified Copy.] (Referred to at page 189.) [These valuations show also the rental, or, at least, the estimated annual value, in 1631, of the lands named in them. They are here printed from the '' Closed Record " &c. quoted at page 265.] appendix. 365 Peter Hay. Peter Hay of Nauchtoune heretable proprietar of threttie-six aikers, viz. 16 aikers of "Womgois [Duchrone?], 13 aikers of Duch- rome [Bangove?"] 4 aikers of Cowtray, and 3 aikers of Byris of Balmerinoch. Constant rent in stok and teynd fyve firlots beir ilk aiker=45 boUs beir. Inde y® teynd is 9 boUis beir. George Stirk. George Stirk heretor of twell aikers of land in Banden twa aikers in Boddumcraig and thrie aikers in Duchray. 12 aikers of Banden ilk aiker in stok and teynd 7 firlots beir. 3 aikers in Duchray ilk aiker 6 firlots beir, and 2 aikers in Boddimcraig ilk aiker 6 firlots bear. Inde y^ teynd 5 bollis 2 firlots 3 pekes \ peke bear. William Bayxe Elder. 5 aikers of Pitmossie at 7 firlots ilk aiker of bear in stok and teynd. 3 aikers in Duchray and 3 aikers ^ aiker in Coutrey ilk aiker in stock and teynd is 6 firlots bear. Inde y® teynd 3 bollis 2 firlots 3 pekes i pek bear. George Jack. 10 aikers of Cowtray ilk aiker stok and teynd 6 firlots bear. Inde the teynd 3 bolls bear. David Watsol^^e. 6 acres of land in Cowtray and 2 in Deuchrone ilk aiker in stok and teynd 6 firlots bear. Inde y^ teynd 2 bollis 1 firlot 2 pekes \ 3 pekes bear. Andro Glasfurd. The lands of Boddumcraig and Drumharie two pairt and third pairt called the Husbandrie and 20 aikers and ^ aiker of land lyand in Boddumcraig and Scorbank belonging thereto and these 8 aikers of land lyand in Drumharrie and Deuchrone in stok and teynd 4 chald. victuall twa pairt meal & third pairt bear. Inde the teynd 12 bollis 3 firlots i firlot victuall quhairof 4 boUis 1 firlot \ of ye 3*^ of an firlot bear and 8 bollis 2 fiilots \ of 3*^ of ane firlot meal. 366 balmerino axd its abbey. William Batxe Yol-xger. 10 aikers of land in Cowtray ilk aiker valued stok and teynd to 6 firlots bear. Inde y® teynd 3 bollis bear. David Pattol^'e. 13 aikers of land in Cowtray ilk aiker in stok and teynd 6 fir- lots bear. Inde y^ teynd 3 bollis 3 firlots 2 pekes ^ of 2 pekes bear. Alexander Simsoxe. 3 aikers h aiker of land in Cowtray in stok and teynd ilk aiker 6 firlots. Inde y® teynd 1 boll i firlot bear. Tho^ias Glen. 2 aikers of land in Boddinicraig ilk aiker in stok & teynd 6 fir- lots 2 pekes bear. Inde teynd 2 firlots 2 pekes \ of 2 pecks bear. James Barclay. 5 aikers of Skur ilk aiker in stok and teynd 7 firlots bear. Inde y^ teynd 1 boll 3 firlots bear. Ro* Brabnt:r. 4 aikers of ye Byres of Balmerino ilk aiker in stok & teynd 6 firlots bear. Inde the teynd 1 boll 3 pecks \ peck bear. JOHXE StENIHOUSE. 5 aikers of land of the Byres of Balmerino Uk aiker in stok & teynd 6 firlots bear. Inde the teynd 1 boll 1 firlot bear. ^L\EGARET TCXLOIS. 1 aiker & ^ aiker of land in Bodimcraig. Teiad 10 merks of pennie mailL & 2 firlots bear. ^Mitchell Balfour. Half -lands of Newgrange valued in stok and teynd 10 chald. APPENDIX. 367 victu^^ quhairof 8 bollis quheit 3^ chald. 8 bollis beir and 6 cliald. aitts. Inde the teynd is 2 cliald. victuall quhairof 1 boll 2 firlots 2 pekes I of 2 fourpets quheit 9 bolls 2 fiiiots 1 peke 2 foi-pets i 2 fourpeots bear and 1 chald. 3 bollis 3 peks \ pek aittis. WiLLIAil Ra^isay. 5 aikers of land lyand in Bodduincraig ilk aiker in stok and teynd 7 firlots bear. Inde the teynd 2 boUis 1 fiiiot 3 pecks i peck bear. Andrew Boyter's Airis. 5 aikers of land in Boddumcraig ilk aiker in stok & teynd 7 fir- lots bear. Inde y* teynd 2 bollis 1 firlot 3 peks ^ pek bear. [Mr Thomas Douglas, minister of Balmerino, appeared before the Commissioners of Teinds in the foregoing processes of valua- tion, and consented thereto. These valuations are also signed by " R. Law." But the following additions are in a different hand- writing from the body of the record; are not signed by "R. Law ; " and are not in the form of regular Decreets of Valuation.] The personage teinds of the lands w*in the parochin of Balmer- inoch conf orme to the present valuation of stock and teind joyntlie extendis to fyve chaldere seven bolls ane firlot ane peke vic^ qrof . thre scoir six bolls ane firlit three pecks three forpitts bear. Item^ Ane boll twa firlots twa peckes quheat. Item^ Xynteine bolls three peckes ane f orpitt aitts. And this buy and attour the teinds of the other half of the lands of the Grange pertaining to the said Mr Peter Hay of IS'auchton qlk was not valued being then alledgit be him that the s*^ lands was fewit than cum decimis inclusis qlks lands being of equall worth with the uther half lands pertaining to the said Mitchell Balfom^ ar estimat to be worth in stok and teind ten chalders vic^ of the spaces foresaid. Inde^ The teynd is twa chalders vic^ . Ite. Thair is in the said paroch threttie aikers of land pertain- ing to the s*^ Lord Balmerinoch qlk as zitt is not valued and is of the lyke goodness w*' y® uther aikers of the said jjaroche and so 368 BALMERIXO AND ITS ABBEY. may be estimat w* thame to be ilk aiker six firlots bear. Inde^ The teind of the s*^^ aikers is nine bolls bear. Summa of the haUl personage teiads w^in the said paroch ex- tendis to aught chalders vic^. Qrof 3 boUs 3 pekes \ peke quheat. Ite. 38 bolls 1 firlit 2 pekes i 2 forpits aittis. Ite. 86 bolls 1 firlot 3 pekes 1 forpit and sum odes attis [bear?]. [In 1637, a Decreet of Valuation of the parsonage teinds of Naughtane Peisliills, ByrehOls, Kirkhills, and CathiUs, with their pertinents, Killukes ['?] and Scrogieside, was pronounced by the Commissioners (the Ai'chbishop of St Andrews compearing and consenting, but the minister of Forgan not being a party), where- by the teiuds of these lands were declared to amount to four chalders, viz., 40 bolls oats, and 24 bolls bear. By a judgment of the Comi; of Session in 1858, the above valuation was held to in- clude the teinds of Maius of Naughton, Gauldry, Brownhills, Gallowhills, Skur, and Kilbums, as portions of the barony of Naughton. The teinds of Easter Grange, or Fincraigs, were not valued till 1832. Those of several portions of the Parish appear to be still imvalued] No. XV. STEXT-ROLL of HEEITORS' COXTRIBUTIOXS for the SCHOOLMASTER'S SALARY of a Hundred Merks, in 1658. [From Kirk-Session Records.] £ s. D. £ s. D. Lord Bahnerinoch 20 Grange . . 6 6 8 Kewton [Sir John John Howison . 8 8 Leslie] for Corbie 5 4 Alexander Preston 10 8 APPENDIX. 3 69 £ S. D. £ s. D. Patrick Scott for ^farg* TVatson 6 8 Scurr and Scro- David Paton 6 8 gieside 18 John Bell . 6 8 John Walker 6 8 George Stirk 1 4 John Tarbit . 7 6 The aires of Pitmossie 18 WilHam Guthrie 7 6 Christian Glen 9 John Glasfuird 2 8 Andrew Rawit 3 4 Kebecca Swinton 10 Agnes Rodger 6 George Jack 1 7 Naughtone . 24 Elspet Kaims 3 10 Siinima (Scots Money) 66 13 4 Xo. XVI. FARMERS AXD RENTAL OF THE PARISH IN 1694.* [Referred to at page 234.] [From the Revaluation or A'alued Rent of Fife in the Sheriff- Clerk's Office. The rents were then paid in the value of certain quantities of grain, which we have here reduced to sterling money, according to the prices assumed by the Commissioners, viz. : — The chalder of wheat, £5 lis. Ig^d; the chalder of bear, £4 ; the chalder of oats, £3 Is. 8d. ; the chalder of meal, £3 6s. 8d. ; the chalder of meal of miln rent, and black oats, £2 15s. 6M. sterling; but given in Scots money in the original.] COEBIE. £ s. D. WimamBlji:h 25 15 Andrew Good, and Alexander Donaldson . . 6 5^ David Ritchie, WilUam Paterson, and Alison Ramsay 2 12 6 Salmon fishing 4 Total 38 7 m ♦ The Author has to thank Thomas Barclay, Esq., Sheriff-Clerk of Fife, for per- mitting him to copy the document of which the substance is here given ; and to* consult other Records in his custody. 2 A 370 balmerino and its abbey. Grange Balfour. Thomas Duncan, and John Blyth . John Gregory TViJliam Honeyman, and James Kinnear Total AlRDITT FOR* SCUR AND SCROGIESIDE. Rent thereof Ballin"dean. Total £ s. D. 44 13 7 4 6 8 1 12 1^ 50 12 4^ 5 6 10 Rent thereof Five acres in Bottomcraig Xaughton, David Ramsay in Peasehills . David Ramsay in Mains of Naughton Andrew Kirkcaldy in Easter Grange Ludovick Brown in Bangove James Hutton in Gallowhill . James Stii'k in Kilbm-ns John Cowper, and David Ramsay "William Mm-doch in Ducherone John Black in Brewlands John Smith in Cultra . John Walker in Highlands John TTyUie in Leadwells John Huison in Bangove Thomas Cupar in Bp-es . Alexander Preston (teind) TTiUiam Buist James Stirk in Scurr Total 189 14 9^ * In a Summary of this Valuation given in Adamson's Ed. of Sibbald's History of Fife, Appendix No. YII., but there assigned to the year 1695, this line is erroneously printed thus: — 'Airdit or Skur and Scrogieside," as if -'Airdit" and "Skur" de- noted the same place. " Airditt " stands for Douglas, laird of Airdit, in Logie Parish, who possessed a part of Scurr. 6 14 9 1 19 oi 8 14 n 50 14 5 40 15 6i 41 12 9 12 19 5 6 12 9f 3 3 H 9 17 4 4 10 10 2 1 15 5 1 12 8^ 2 10 1 10 1 2 6 6 n 8 11 H appendix. Lord Balmerino. Ee ntal of the Lordship of Bahnerino 371 £ S. D. 96 9 7 Alexander Preston's Portion of Kilburns. Rent of his 8 acres 3 13 1^ Small Feuars, David Jack [Cultra] George Jack [Cultra] James Duncan [Cultra] John BeU [Cultra] David Paton [Cultra] John Gregory "William Bayne [Cultra] Andrew RaT\-itt [Dochrone] Andrew Gourlay . Gray's Lands [Bottomcraig] Tarbit's heu"s [Bottomcraig] James Anderson [Bottomcraig] James Watson Mr John Stenhouse [Byres^ Mr Andrew Hedderwick [Boghall] 5 10 6 6 3 2 5 5 2 5 5 3 10 2 5 1 2 8i 17 8* 4 4 H 1 19 3 1 19 3 8 10 2 5 3 8 1^ 1 2 6 35 5 2 Total of small feuars The Valued Rent of the several proprietors, as it stood in 1694, after deductions for feu-duties, minister's stipend, schoolmaster's salary, &c., was as follows, in Scots money: — Corbie Grange Balfour Laird of Airdit for Skur and Scrogysyd Thomas Stark of Bandean Peter Hay of Xaughton Lord Balmerinoch .... Alexander Preston's portion of Kilburns £ s. D. . 413 . 494 13 4 . 54 6 8 . 88 6 8 . 1900 . 751 10 . 25 372 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. £ S. D. Small feuars 358 13 4 Smnma 4085 10 In Sterling money 34.0 9 2 The valued Eent of the Parish, according to which School- master's salary, and usually the cost of the erection and repair of the Parish Chiu-ch, Manse, and Schoolhouse are still paid, stands at present, in consequence of changes of proprietorship, as follows : £ s. D. Naughton 2030 7 9 Birkhill 1006 18 3 Balmerino 923 13 Ballindean 88 6 8 Cultra (George Henderson) . . . 31 14 2 Bottomcraig (Elizabeth Anderson) . . 4 10 2 Total m Scots Money 4085 10 The Valuation Poll of the County of Fife for the year 1864-5, recently published, contains a list of all the then existing proprie- tors, tenants, rents, and feu-duties of this Parish. It is unnecessary to insert it here. The gross Valuation of the Parish for 1864-5 amoimted to £6,996 Sterling. Ko. XYII. LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS TO VOLUNTARY STIPEND FOR THE ASSISTANT-MINISTER IN 1717. [Referred to at page 238. The sums are in Scots money.] I. — Heritors. £ s. D. Mr Robert Hay of Nachtone . . . . 33 06 08 Alexander Alison of Birchhill . . . . 20 00 00 APPENDIX. 373 Thomas Stark of Bandean . George Jack, portioner of Coultra Alexander Preston, portioner of Kilburns James Kirk, portioner of C ultra James Paton, portioner there James Bell, portioner there Margaret Potie, portioner there . Mrs Duddingstone of Pitmossie . James Anderson, portioner of Bottomcraig Nachtane desires to be added to liim, because he his lands of Easter Grange in his own hands 11. John Mores David Meldrum James Anderson John Glass James Henderson John Farmer . David Dryburn Elspet Ivii-caldy £ S. D. 06 1.3 04 06 13 04 02 00 00 01 00 00 00 12 00 00 13 04 01 00 00 01 00 00 00 12 00 03 05 04 Summa of Heritors 76 16 00 —The Ground of Birchhill. £ s. D. £ s. D. 01 10 00 George Whyt . 00 12 00 00 16 00 Robert Barclay 03 00 00 01 04 00 Gilbert Gardener 01 00 00 00 14 00 Robert Reid . 01 00 00 01 00 00 John Donaldson 01 04 00 00 00 12 19 00 James TVinton 00 00 12 00 00 12 00 Summa is 14 08 00 Thomas Glass James Patie John Smith HI. — C ULTRA. 01 00 00 WilUam Duncan 00 10 00 01 00 00 JohnM'Gregor 01 00 00 00 14 00 ■ Smnmais 04 04 00 John Kinneaj;,. George TTalker James Kinnear John Kinnear, younger. lY. — The Ground of Grange. 01 00 00 JohnPaterson 01 00 00 00 13 04 AVilham M-Pherson 01 00 00 00 12 00 David Honeyman 01 00 00 00 12 00 Summa is 05 17 04 374 BALMERIXO AND ITS ABBEY. V. — The Grouxd of Balmerino. £ s. D. £ s. D. Margaret Kirkaldy 02 00 00 George RentowU 00 12 00 James Colvill . 01 00 00 Andrew Dimcan 01 00 00 David Clerk . 01 00 00 John FowLU . 01 00 00 Robert Smith . 01 04 00 David Adamson 01 00 00 Alex^" Gregory 01 00 00 Christian Gregory 00 12 00 Thomas Eentowll 01 10 00 Andrew Lesly 01 00 00 David Johnstone 00 12 00 Thomas Shepherd 01 00 00 James Ogilvie . 00 12 00 Henry Boyd . 01 00 00 Charles Henderson 01 00 00 TVilliam Richie 00 12 00 James Kinnear 00 12 00 Alex"" Bruceson 01 00 00 3Iargaret Eobertson 00 12 00 James Tough . 00 12 00 John Patrick . 01 00 00 John Ramsay . 00 10 00 John Boyd 01 10 00 David Anderson 01 00 00 Da^-id Scott . John Rentowll 01 01 00 10 00 00 Smnma is 27 00 00 YI. — The Ground of Xachtaxe. David Ramsay 06 00 00 Arthur Wyllie 01 10 00 William Lmnsden 04 00 00 William Donaldson 01 10 00 Alexander Baxter 00 18 00 John Spindy . 01 10 00 James ^[itcheU 00 06 00 John E spline . .00 12 00 James Jack 00 12 00 Andrew Symson 00 12 00 TViUiam Dorrett 00 06 00 David Duncan . 00 12 00 John Black 02 08 00 George Xicoll . 00 12 00 "WiUiam Murdoch 01 00 00 Alex"^ Henderson 00 18 00 TTalter Ramsay 00 12 00 Alex'' Finlay . 01 04 00 John Kii-kaldy 00 12 00 John Ogilvie . 00 12 00 James Paterson 01 00 00 John Xicol 00 12 00 John Cupar . 00 12 00 James KLirk 01 00 00 Helen Patie . 00 06 00 David TuUice . 00 12 00 WiUiam Duncan 01 04 00 David Myles . 00 12 00 James Kirkaldy 03 00 00 Henry Mitchell 01 00 00 John Duncan . 00 12 00 George Brown . 01 00 00 Alex"" Barclay . 00 04 00 Robert Hardy . 00 06 00 Summa is 38 06 00 Sum of the whole, £ 166, lis. 4d. Scots. APPENDIX. 375 Lord Balmerino gave nothing. The Laird of Grange " refused to meddle in this affair." Non-resident heritors were Mr. James Gray of Bulzeon, residing in Dundee, and Mrs Mary Hedderwick. Xo. XYIII. FARMERS AND RENTAL OF NAUGHTON ESTATE in 1812. [As given in to the Coiui; of Teinds by the late Mr Fincraigs, . . John luglis, . Peasehills, . . George Melville, Little Inch, . . George Johnston, Boiling House, . Messrs. Littles, Mains, in Naughton's own hand, . Kilburns, . . Andrew Pitcairns, Sown Bank, . . Mr Thomson, Galdry, . . William Henderson, Do. . . James Dewar, Other lands in Galdry, viz. George Smith's, TTiUiam Duncan's, and John Murdoch's, Gallowhill, . . Andrew Hutton, Balgove, Kirkton, "West Scurr, Small Feus, David Meldrum, David Donald, Alex' Henderson, Total, Moris on.' £ s. D. 410 600 219 IG 10 72 70 200 30 70 10 20 14 45 4 4 7 16 12 41 £1816 6 10 In Xo. XIX. POPULATION OF THE PARISH. 1755, 565 In 1837, . 1070 1791, 703 1841, . 993 1801, 786 1851, . 945 1811, 921 1858, . 895 1821, 965 1861, . 815 1831, . 1055 1866, . 745 376 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. No. XX. SOME OF THE VARIATIONS IN THE SPELLING OF BALMERINO AND NAUGHTON. Abermoroenochtum Balmeriiioth Baknurinoth Balmmynach Bamirinoth Balmirrino Balmurinach Balmerinath Bakaarino Balmerynach Balmernoclit Balmuraeum Balmerinach BaLmminoche Babnorynaucht Balmorynach Balmirnoch Balmerynot Balmorinach Balmmynoth Bawmerynot Bakawrynach Bamarinoth Baknirrieno BalTnerinauch Balmorenogh Balmimenoche Baknarinac Balmirrynoche Balmerinock Balmorinac Balmarinoch Balmerino Balmoryne Balmermoche &c. Bamirnie Hyatnachten Macli- Adhenauthen Atknatktan hirb Aduauthen Atknackt Hadnachten Adnectan Autbnatkan Hadlinacten Adynahten Atnathan Ardnaughton Adnaiithan Atnautkan Adnachten Adnacht Naught oune Adnachtan Adanauhtan Nachtoun Adanachtin Adnacthen Nacktane Adenauchtan Adnauclitan Nacktan Adanauthan Athnauthan Nauchtou Adanauthin Athenachten Naughtoii Adenacthen Athenacutheu &c. No. XXI. SITUATION OF PLACES NOT NOW INHABITED, OR WHOSE NAMES ARE DISUSED. Cathills, or Cattcraigs, nortk-east of Kilbmiis. Scroggieside, west of Kilburns. East, West, and Mid Scur, soutk of Scroggie- APPENDIX. 377 side. Hays HiU^ north of Naughton Castle. Kirkhills and Byrehills, on the present farm of Peasehills. Broicnhills, between Naughton and Gauldry. Middleshed, south from Kilbunis, on the summit of the ridge. Gaitnyde of Naughton^ and Cauldside^ situation unknown. Balgove, ot Bangove, south-west of Gauldry, near the crest of the hill, inhabited till a few years ago. Pitmos- sie^ south-east of Fincraigs, near the foot of the hill, also recently inhabited. Doll, south-west of Grange, near the boimdary of the parish, where there were houses withia thirty years ago. Houses at East Grange, now removed. Boghall, north-east of Bottom- craig, at the foot of Scurrbank. Fifty years ago Bottomcraig farm-house and steading stood north of the present Clause. Neic- higging, west from the Manse, on the south side of the pubHc road. It had 13 acres of land attached to it, and was inhabited till recently. Little Ley, south from Bottomcraig, on the north slope of the hiU, boimded by lands of Xaughton on the east. DrumcJiarry, south and west of Bottomcraig, on the north slope of the hill. Dochrone, 32 acres, south and west from Gauldiy. Battlelaiv, west of Dochrone. Cleikamscleuch (sometimes written Cleikanniscleuch), west and south of Battlelaw. Crossfaidds, be- tween this last place and PriorweU, and south of LeadweUs. Byrescroft, west of Drumcharry. LeadweUs, south of Byres, and between the two roads leading up the hiU. Fifty years ago, and afterwards, LeadweUs was a farm 29 acres in extent. The last tenant's name was Barclay, who asserted that his family had lived there several hundred years. Harlands, west of Byres, run- ning from Birkhill road south to the foot of the hiU. Woodjiat, north-west of Byi"es, near Bamden. Barnden-burn probably that sometimes called Poyntok-hurn, the boundary between Birk- hill and Bahnerino estates. Barncroft, west from the Green of Bahnerino. Barnyards, about the same locality. The Green of Bahnerino. west of the Abbey Place. The Flott, the field south of the present burying-ground. Craigingrngie'sfaidd was in the Out- field of Byres. Park and Poyntok, and Craigingrngie'sfauld, were the same as that afterwards called Demmings or Demmins, which till a few years ago was a sepai-ate farm. Demmins formerly stood at the foot of the hill beneath PriorweU, and latterly close by the road leading to BirkhiU, and on the south side of it. Highlands, near Demmins, on the north side of the road. Hungerton, situation un- 378 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. known. Thornton, though not specified in the older titles of Birkhill, is so named elsewhere in 1615. Fincraigs is not named in the old titles of Easter Grange. The fii-st notice of it we have met with is in the year 1655. A few years ago a large, and several small cottages, which stood west of Birkhill farm-steading, were removed. The former had at one time been the residence of Mrs Gillespie of Mountquhanie (who was of the Birkhill family) dur- ing her widowhood. Several houses at Priorwell, where there was formerly a separate farm, have been lately disused. There were many years ago houses south-east of Little Inch, at the foot of the wooded hill. Down to the early part of this century there were two small farms, North and South Kirkton, whose houses and steadings stood east of the buiyiiig-ground. (Bleau's Atlas — the oldest Atlas of Scotland — of date 1662, vol. VI., contains some errors in the portion which shows this Parish. Thus it places Byrehills east of Wormit, and Ca thills and Broicnhills west of Gauldry. A place south-east from Little Inch it calls Moorie.} No. XXIL ETYMOLOGY OF XAMES OF PLACES. Few things are more difficult — such are the effects of time in modifying both spelling and pronunciation — than to ascertain the origin and meaning of ancient names of places ; and considering the absurdities into which writers, otherwise trustworthy, have fallen, while performing ingenious feats in etymology, we should have preferred — as the safer course — to leave the subject un- touched. But that we may not appear to have altogether omitted this interesting branch of inquiry, we subjoin a few derivations, most of which have been suggested by other individuals, and none of which the discerning reader is expected to accept for more than he thinks they are worth ! Balmerino or Bahnunjnach, obviously of Gaelic origin, is said in the Old Statistical Account to mean Sailors' Town. Boece APPENDIX. 379 calls it Ahermoroenochtum ; Lesley, Bahnuraeum ; and Fordun, HaUtaculum ad jnare, or The habitation by the sea-side, which would therefore seem to be the meaning of the word accepted in his day. Some have thought that the name may have been derived from St Mamoch — a view for which a good deal might be said. Others make it signify the town of Mary, to whom the Abbey was (after- wards) dedicated. Corbie, it may be confidently asserted, has no connection with the bird Scotice so called! It is said in the Old Statistical Account to be composed of two Celtic words sig- nifying a den icith birlcs, which, a competent Gaelic scholar informs the author, is very probable. Demmings, now erroneously written Demonds, may be derived from dams or pools of water existing there in former times. A place near Arbroath called Demmindale is said to have such an origin. Scurr maybe from Scaur, a rock. Cultrach may be derived from two Celtic words, meaning the back of the oaks. Little Inch — inch signifies, in Gaelic, an island. It is not improbable that this word Little, and also Bottom in Bot- tomcraig (sometimes written Bodincraig), are corruptions of quite different words now lost. (TTitness Cockburnspath, locally pro- nounced Coppersmith). Little Inch appears to have been at one time nearly surrounded by a marsh. Of Kirkhills we can suggest no account, unless that the ancient chapel of Xaughton was per- haps situated there. Air die Hill is, apparently, derived from a Celtic word signifying a height. The syllable Bed in Balgove and Balindean means a town or hamlet: of the rest we can give no ex- planation. Gauldry was anciently written Galuran. Gaelic dictionaries give a similar word, galluran, as the name of the plant wild Angelica; but we shall not therefore leap to the con- clusion that our village received its name from that plant ! Nor do we suppose (as some have done) that it has any connection with the word galkry, though it is sometimes so spelt. There is another place in Forfarshire caUed Gallery. Naughton (See Ap- pendix, Xo. XX.) — The fact that one or more of the Pictish kings were called Nethan, or Nectan Mac Irb, or Nechtan Hy Firb (see Sibbald, App. No. IX., and Eobertson's " Scotland under her Early Kings," App. A.), may indicate a connection between them and Naughton, one of whose ancient names was Hyatnachten Machhirb. Ardnaughton may mean the stronghold or hill of Nech- tan. Cathills: the first part of this name is said to signify in 380 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. Galic a hattle^ and may possibly refer to the incursions of the Danes, though such a derivation is not free from difficulty. A receut author supposes Peasehills to have been so called because the terms of peace with the Danes were, he thinks, there arranged; and suggests that the name should be changed to Dunipace, which he considers to mean the hill of peace. This derivation of Peasehills appears very improbable ; and as to Dunipace, the best authorities trace that name to the Gaehc words duin-7ia-hais, or the hill of death, which would more hkely be the meaning of Peasehills than hill of peace. Probably Peasehills, and even Cat- hills, may, like Brownhills, Kirkhills, and Byrehills, be English words, signifying just what they appear severally to express. No. XXIII. MR HUTTON'S LETTER. [Referred to at page 147.] [The following letter, describing the state of the Abbey ruins in 1789, was addressed by the Rev. Andrew Hutton, minister of Kil- many (who died in 1792), to General Hutton, whose extensive Collections on the Monasteries of Scotland are preserved in MS. in the Advocates' Library. The letter is contained in the vol- ume for Fife, being Vol. VL of the Collections. The same volume contains also two letters from Mr Alexander Melville, farmer at Peasehills, dated 1789 and 1801 respectively, and several other letters from Mr Hutton, to the General; but the fol- lowing sentence in one of ^Ir Hutton's letters is all that is worth quoting: — "I went to Dunbog, and found that the place (where the mansion-house, the property of Sir Thomas Dundas [stands]) was formerly called Gadvau, a preceptory of Balmerinoch Abbey, wherein four monks did statedly reside."] "Kikneny, 24th March, 1789. " Sir, " I hope you received by post, some time ago, a short letter from me in answer to yom- obliging favom-s of APPENDIX. 381 the 30tli January. Since Mrs Hutton's death (on the 18th last), I have been nowhere abroad, and for some weeks liave been aihng much, but am better now. Meantime, I have been making what inquiries I could about the Abbey of Balmarinoch. On Saturday I received a charter given by the Commendatarius of the Monas- tery, dated August 1574. It's short and concise; wrote in Latin. The language (considering the time) I think is ornate, in so far as I can read it. There are so many contractions, and so many words defaced, that I can make but Httle of it ; ]put such as are accustomed to read old writings (which I scarcely can) may understand the whole. The wax-seal appended to it dis- tinctly bears the impression of the Virgin at full length, and the child in her arms. Its figiu-e is oval ; and round the margin, a motto in old saxon characters, which to me is illegible. What words of the charter I can read, I'll wi'it^ on the last page by themselves. I am going to-morrow, with some others, to visit the Abbey, that I may give all the intelligence I can, and will leave this unfinished till the next day. " (Thursday 26th) — I was at the Abbey yesterday ; but unluckily- most of the people I expected intelligence from were not at home, and the day was bad ; so that I could not stay to survey it as I meant to have done. Among the venerable remains, St Mary-g Chapel* is the most entire, built of the finest stones, and so dur- able that the marks of the chisel are yet upon them. Not in the least blasted. It 's beautifully arched, and the roof supported by six pillars, the finest I have seen ; and the niches for the altar and font- stone are quite distinct There is a large vault on each side ;■ one of which they call a pit, in which I found a number of eattle belonging to the tenant of the farm ; the other had been a kitchen, and in it likewise are (sic) a brew-house, as appears by the vents, of each; and the oven is yet entire. In the stoiy above, some vaults yet remain, in which the nuns,t it's said, were lodged ; and on the west side, a yeard called the Cloyster Yeard, adjoining to which is the quire or vestry of the churcli, from south to north. It's now razed to the foundation. The cSturch * What Mr Hutton calls St Marifs Chapel is not a chapel, hut the cloisters, of the- Chapter-House, t There were no nuns at Balinerino. 382 BALMERINO AND ITS ABBEY. stood from west to east, and part of the back wall yet stands, and the foundations of the pillars are visible. I could hear nothing about the queen's grave, but think I could guess at the spot ; for a great way on the back-wall the earth is high, and it's probable there are vaults below.* The churchyard is large, and is full of trees. East from that is the mansion-house, part of which yet stands, and the tenant lives in it. Two stone windows in the front have the impression of arms on them ; and on the north end there is a l^rtizan, as they call it, looking towards the river. Behind is a large orchard, wherein some fruit trees still stand ; and a walnut and an elm tree, very old, the grossest of the kind I ever saw. The great gatet fronts the west, and about it are the office-houses. The whole property belongs to the Earl of Moray. It has been used as a quarry, I believe, since the Eeformation, and continues to be so still, and little of it now remains. It's seven years since I saw it before, and now the hewn stones of one of the pillars in the chapeU, next to the side-waU, are driven down. It's shocking to see it. The whole wiU soon be ruined. In aU the houses and dykes thereabouts the carved hewn stones of the Abbey are to be seen. Lord Balmerino's family lived there long. In 1611 the church was translated to about a quarter mile's dis- tance to the eastward, because (it's said) the countess could not bear the noise of the psalms on Sunday. This is all the intelli- gence I can give at present ; if more occurs afterwards, it shall be at your service. One Mr Alexander MelviUe, farmer at Pease- hiUs, in the neighbourhood, who favoured me with this charter, teUs me of another, dated either 1589 or 98 — is to procure me a sight of that likewise. I showed him your letter, and he is eager to do what he can to gratify you. He is a sensible worthy man, and most obliging. He has this charter in trust from the poor family it belongs to, and it seems it never has been renewed. I' much wish you saw this, and if you incline you might write him asking the favour. I could transmit it to you by the Dundee-Edin- burgh carrier who passes here weekly, and he would send it by the Kelso earner from Edinburgh. And this way of sending let- ters would be most regular, as I am seldom in Cupar unless on * The Queen was not buried there. See page 62. i This gate has since heen demolishecL See page 155. APPENDIX. 383 Presbytery days. I must wiite what I can of the charter in a sep- arate paper, for want of room here ; and I am, with great respect, Su-, Your most obedient servant, Andrew Hutton." "P.S. — The feu which this charter belongs to consists of a house and barn and a yeard, not exceeding half a rood of ground alto- gether, nay, not so much. I saw it the other day. The yearly duty it now pays is 3s. 4d. sterling."* No. XXIV. GENEALOGY OF THE PRIXCIPAL FAMILIES. § 1. The Lascels of Xaughton. Alan, son of Walter de Lascels, married Juliana de Sommer- ville, and had two sons, Alan and Duncan. Alan de L. of Adenacthen, son of the last, mentioned between 1188 and 1202, md. AmabiUa , and had a daughter Mar- jory, who md. 1st, Peter de Haya, and 2dly, Sir Richard de Moravia, by whom she had a son Sir Alexander de M. of Xewton, mentioned 1268-1281. Arms. — In H, M. Record Office there is a detached seal, "S Johannis de Laschel," bearing a hand and falcon, in the back- ground a musket. A seal of 1292, "Radulfi de Lascelles," has— ermrwe, three garbs. § 2. The Hays of Xaughton (First Family). John de Haya de Ardnaughton was the 3d son of "William de H., the first of Errol (who died before 1199), by his wife Eva. He md. Juliana de Lascels, who predeceased him. and by whom * The Charter here referred to is that regarding a house and gaardfin, diueiino, 222, 226, 278. Gilbert. Sir, 254. Isobel, 278, 316. James, Colonel, 277. James, minister of Balmerino, 233-9, 241-3. Janet, story of, 260. — ■ John, Commendator of Balmer- ino, 130, 133-7, 384, 389. John, Provost of Dundee, 260. Mary, wife of Walter Greig, 202, 217. Patrick, Xaughton's son and brother, 278. Thomas, Naughton's brother, 233, 278. of Balcomy, 97. of Conland, 278. of EiTol, Nicholas, 89. of Errol. 'William, 251. of Fudie, 181. of Morton, 384, 268. of Tarvet. 181-2. Hays of Xaughton, first family of, 251-61, 383-5 ; "Davy the Hay," his marriage- contract, 256. 432 : John, 92 ; John, his grant to the Abbey,96, 253 ; Peter, charters given by, 22; Sir William, his exploits, 254-6. Hays of Naughton, second family of, 267- 80, 386-7 ; George. 196, 211-12, 235- 6; John, 235; Peter, of Xether- Durdie and Naughton, 184, 188, 308 ; his conduct towards Lord Balmerino, 288 ; his works and poetiy, 269, 272, see Corrections, 275-7, 358 ; Peter, of Naughton, 215-16, 226-7; Robert. 235,238, 240-1, 243, 372-3; stor>- of young Hay of N, 2S0. Haylis, John de. Abbot, 101-5. Hazleton, 64. Helvieden, 408. Henderson, minister of Leuchars, 191. John, his call to Balmenno, 232. of Cultra, 414. Danish fiimily of, 14. Henry VIII. of England, 116. IV., 101. Hertford's invasion, 116. High C:ommission. Court of, 189. "Highlands,"370, 377. Horestii, people of Fife, 8. Hostelries of the monks, 72, 94, 348. Hugh, Abbot, 101. Hungerton, 377. Huntedon, Earl of, his grant to the Abbev, 72. Hutton, liev. A., of Kilmany, 147-8, 155, 380. Hutton's MS. Collections, 147, 380. Immorality Court, 240. Inchelyn, 83. Infangenethef. what, 27. Innerdovat, 252, 267. Interdict, effects of Papal, 76-7. Invergowrie, 318. James I. of Scotland, 107. IL, his charter to the Abbey, 105. v., 112-15. VI., 140-4, 204, 270, 284-5, 323; Peter Hay's addresses to, ^69, 272, 358 Jameson, Mrs, quoted, 39. John 1., Abbot, 78. John II., (de Haylis), Abbot, 101-5. Johnston (at Dunbog), 98, 353, 357, 360, 362. Kedlock (Catholach), 64, 73, 347, 390. Keith, Archibald, minister of Balmerino and Logic, 163-15. Kerkou, Kerchow, or Kirkhuet, 62. Kerr. Thomas, minister of Baimerino, 238-41. Kethvn, S3. Kilbuins, 13, 121, 129. 209-10. 264, 2C7, 357, 368, 370-1, 373, 375, 408. Killukies, 210, 368. Kilmanyn, Hugo de, his grant to the Abbey, 90. Kilmanyn or Kilmany, prehistoric me- morials in parish of, 5, 6 ; its church and incumbents, 13, 23, 65, 67, 83, 85. 178; old names of places in the parish, 83, 90 ; rebels in the Manse, 242; Mr Clialmers, minister of, 247; other notices of, 97, 135, 178, 210, 213, 235, 248, 305, 312, 317, 328, 330, 412. Kincraigie, 70, 353, 357, 360. Kinnaird, Alan and Thomas of, 256-8. John, 261. Livingstones of, the, 261. Lairds of, the, 261, 266, 358. Kinneir, Wester cr Little, grant of, to the Abbey, and boundaries of, 82-3 ; grants of other si.x. acres at, 90; other notices of, 322, 330, 347, 353, 357, 360, 362. Kinneir, castle of, 253. genealogy of family of, 390, 433. David, Henry's brother, 350. David, minister of Auchter- house, 140-4, 182, 402-3. Henry, Commendator of Bal- meiino, 137-44, 146, 349-50, 402-3. 426 INDEX. Kinneir, John,of Bamden, Commendator, 139-43, 402-3, 350 (?). John, son of David, 144. John, of that Ilk, 109, 137, 144. John, Sir, of that Ilk, 90. • Svmon de, bis grants to the Abbey,' 64, 82-3. S^^non, son of Symon de, 90. Kirkhills, 210, 266-7, 368, 377, 379-80. Bark-Session of Balmerino, and its Records, 186. 190-6. 198-9, 202-3, 205- 6, 208, 210, 212-13, 215-19, 226-7, 229- 33, 236, 239-43, 247, 368, 372-5. See Cliantable Contributions. Kirkton of Bahiierino, Ramsav, laird of, 301. 404; other notices ot; 104, 129, 183. 209. 26S. 301-2, 308, 328, 336, 350, 357, 359-61, 375. 378, 403, 409. Knox, James, (Peasehills), 330. Knox, John, 50, 125-6, 134-5, 166, 309-10. Ladjrwell, 157. Lament's Diary quoted, 205, 277-9, 316. Landholders of the Parish in 12th and 13th centuries, 30-1. Langside, 16, S3. Language, change of, 17. Laodonia, meaning of the term. 61. Lascels of Xaughton, the, 21-3, 31, 251-2, 333, 433. Laui'ence, son of Widen, his sale of ground to the Abbey. 62. Laurie, William, chosen as assistant-min- ister of Balmerino, 23S. Leadwells, 129, 171, 328, 370, 377. Leai-months of Birkhill and Balcomie, the, 312-13, 349, 353, -398. Leicestria, Richard de, his grant to the Abbey, 61. Leighton. See Swan and Leighton. Leitch, Henry, reader at Logic, 166-9. Lesley of Newton and BirkhiU, family of, 312-17. 399. Andrew, 31L Colonel, 193. the historian. 12-5-6. General, Earl of Leven, 196, 314. Sir John of N. and B. 278, 368 ; knighted, 31-5. Leuchars. church of, 50, 67, 72, 85, 431 ; other notices of, 8, 71, 83, 118, 130, 191, 252-3, 281. Leven, Earl of, 196, 314. Lewis, colonization of, 312. Lindores AVbey, 57. 71, 85, 94, 120, 126-7, 15S, 172-3; Abbot of, 124-5, 178. Lindores church, 431. Lindsay, Davit de, his grant to the Abbey, 62 Sir David (poet), quoted, 110-11, 115, 307. Sir WiUiam and Sir Walter, 257. of Pitscottie quoted. 112-13, 118. Little Inch, 209, 328, 375, 378-9. Little Ley, 377, 404. Livingstone's Sermon, 211. Livingstones of Kinnaird, the, 261. Lochleven, teinds of, 98. Lochs, small, in the Parish formerly, 326. Lochymilne, 98, 353, 357, 360. Logy-murtho, Logymurthe, Logie-mur- thak, Logie-Murdoch, Logic, teinds of, 120, 141-2, 167, 172-3, 3G0 ; patron- age of, 141; church of, a vicarage, 67-8, 172; stipend of, 2.3, l.-^S, 172-3 ; rectory of, assigned to a monk sent to the University, 120; united to Bal- merino, 164, 'l70; reader at, 166-9; his salary, 1-38, 166-7; "mortifica- tion" for him, 168: church to be "re-edified," 178; Manse perhaps there, 173 ; Thomas Forret, vicar o^ 169 ; other notices of, 128, 137, 182, 235. 248, 306. Longevity, instances of, 325-6, Lord's C'airnie, 253 Lorimer's Well, (PnonveU?) 403. Lugden, 31-3. Lundin, Lundon, London, or Lundie, family of, 24, 30-1, 99, 251. Temple of, 55. Lyon's Hi.story of St Andrews quoted, 203, 226, 278, 298-9. Magdalene, Queen, 112-15, 325. Magus Muir, 223-5. Maidment's "Analecta Scotica" quoted, 256-9. Maitland of Hatton, 321. Jlalcolm IV., King, 21-2. 30. Malcrether or Malchrethre, 21. Manse of Balmerino, 135, 172-3, 226-7, 247, 328, 303-4, 335. Margaret, Queen. 16, 50 ; Princess, 85. Marjory, the Countess, 70. Marriages in church, 212, 229. Maries, the Queens, 134. Marston Moor, battle of, 195, 321. Mary, Queen, 133-6. image of the Virgin, 155. Masons' marks, 153. Matthew of Kirkton, 329, 403. Maules of Panmure, tlie, 109, 144-5, 432. Maw Craig, 408. May, Isle of, 78. Meirose Abbey, 41, 55-6, 108, 110-11, 120 Abbot of, 47, IIL Melville, Alexander, (Peasehills), 382. Andrew, of St Andrews, 177-8, 311. Andrew, minister of Logie, 248. Melvilles of Bottomcraig, the, 407, 409, 415. Merk, value of a, 25, 167, 431. Middleshed, 377. Mierkip, 64. Milneden (BaiTj-), 3.5-5. Ministers, their poverty, 165, 167. Ministers of Balmerino, list of, 345. Monasteries, were seats of learning, 39 ; INDEX. 427 burnt by the English, 116 ; attacked by the Refomieis, 125-6; order for destruction of, 128. See Abbeys. Monastic buildings and builders, 48-53. Monastic offices, 45-6. Monastic System, the, 35-39; 107, 109, 131-2. See Monks, Cistercian Monks, Abbots. Moneth or the Grampians, 10. Money, value of, 25, 129, 167, 173, 431. Monichi, 10. Monifieth church, 147-8. Monk.s, meaning of the word, 35 ; Rom- ish, supplant Culdees, 12; their habits and characteristics, merits and demerits, 36-9, 47; their Char- tularies and Chronicles, 10, 39, 40; black and white, 43 ; friars different from, 43; were the designers of churches, 52 ; their leniency to their tenants. 273-5 ; their portions, 100, 130, 133, 143; many embraced Pro- testantism, 130, 132 ; what we owe to them, 132. See Cistercian Monks, Abbots, Jlonasteries, Balmerino Abbey, Monks of. Montrose, Earl of, 196, 210. MonjTnusk, 133. Moonzie chuich, 67, 219, 431. Moorie, 378. Moray, Earls of, 187, 245, 299-300, 392, 407, 409, 412. Morison of Xaughton, family of, 280-3, 387-8, 329. Colonel, 328, 282. James. 210, 245, 375. Mrs Duncan, 14. Miss Duncan, 209, 306. ■ J. Walker Bethune, 282. Morton, Earl of, 98. Morton's "Monastic Annals of Teriot- dale" quoted, 41. 107, 110. "Mother Church," 28-9, 104. Motrich, Mothric, Mothtry, or Motray, the, 64, 83, 69, 335. Mountquhany, the Balfours of, 309; Lnmsdaine of, 316 ; Mrs Gillespie of, 378. Munbuche, 83. Murdoch, William, (Gauldry), 221, 229 Murray, John de, his grant to the Abbey, 62. Alison, Giles. Isobel, and Mary of, 256-8. Murrays of Newton, the, 252-3, Myln, Walter, martyr, 124-5. Nativi or serfs, 28. Naughton, probable origin of the name of, 10, 379 ; various ways of spelling, 376, (see Coi-rections) ; prehistoric memorials on estate o^ 13, 14 ; earli- est mention of, 11, 12; not the site of a battle, 9, 10; nor of a Caldee establishment, but placed under the Culdees of St Andrews, 11-13; "parish of," 20-1; castle of, 24, 31, 237, 251, 253, 267, 281, 336; pictures of castle, 282, 303; present man- sion house of. 281, 336; ancient church and chapel of, 21-4, 29, 31, 252-3, 266; sacred wells near, 157; ancient estate of, 20-24, 31. 266-7; estate of, possessed by the Lascels, 21-2, 31 ; acquired by the Hays (first family), 251-2; half of, acquired by the Kinnairds, 261 ; acquired by the Crichtons, 261; non-entry of, given to Bp. Panter, 264; acquired by Bp. Douglas, 265; part of, ac- quired by the Balfours, 266-7; ac- quired by the Havs (second family), 267-8 ; by the Jlori&ons, 280-2, 243 ; by A. Duncan Morison, 282-3; genealogy of lairds of, 383-8 ; a burial place of lairds of, 208, 329; the estate a barony, 279, 283; a portion of, a tenandry, 267; joined to Balmerino Parish, 207-10; "Lady Naughton," 279 ; story of insane lady of, 281 ; rebel gaiTison in, 237 ; Mains of, 209, 267, 368, 370, 3'5; Grange of. 24, 31 ; old roads leading past, 135, 328; plants found at, 340; "old extent" of. in 1517. 358; valuation of teinds of, 368 ; " Closed Recoid " regarding, 265, 210, 360, 364; "stent" of, in 1658, 369; farmers and rental of, in 1694, 370; valued rent of, 371-2; chief householders in ground of, in 1717, 374; farmers and rental of, in 1812, 375; transmission of Abbey lands in estate of, 402, 405, 407-11, 414-15. Newbigging, in Balmerino Parish, 377. in Kilmany Parish, 243, 305-6. 412. Newport, 6 (see Corrections), 23. Newton, castle, 253; barony, 313; Hill, preaching on, 220-1, 229-30. Newton, the Lesleys of, 313-17, 399. the Munays of, 252-3. Nidyn, Hugo and Richard de, their grants to the Abbey, 90-1. Nonnan settlers, 17, 21, 51, 95-6. Norman's Law, 6, 15. Novalia, not teindable, 74, 187. Nydie, quany, &c., 90-1. Ogilby, Wat of, 257. "Old extent." See Extents. Organs, introduction of, 152 ; defence of use of, 271. Paldnant, 360. Panter, bishop, 264. Parbroath, 5, 144. Parishes, origin of, 20, 28. 428 INDEX. Park fDeramings). 171, 311, 351, 357, 362, 377, 404, 432. Parliaments, 48, 92, 94, 95, 142, 163, 206, 229, 277. Patrick, Andrew, bewitched, 199, 203. Patronage of Balmerino church. See Bahnerino Parish Church. Patronage of churches, 20, 22, 28, 213, 233, 241. 244-5, 266. Peasehills. 14, 24, 31, 210, 330, 368, 370, 375, 380. "Penny bridals." 195, 240. Perisby, WUliam de, Abbot, 84-6. Perth, 125. 142, 183; Abbey property at, 61-2, 72-3. PetgoiTioc, Petgomo, Pitgoraio. Pitgomo. &c.. 61, 70, 73, 96, 128, 347, 353, 357, 3(50-1. Philiphaugh, battle of, 196. Picts of Fife, the, 10, 12, 16-18. PDgnimmies, 360. Pipers forbidden. 231. "Pit and gallows," 27, 266. Pit cairn. David, his call 233. Pitcaim's '• Criminal Trials " quoted, 171, 180, 183, 290. Pitgormo. See Petgomoc. Pitmossie, 129, 209, 352. 357, 363, 365, 369, 373,377,410-11. Pitskellie (Banv), 348, 354, 360. "Pittances," 44". 62. Places, et\Tnology of, 378. old names of, 376-8. See Correc- tions. Polgaigny, 99, 355. Pope Gregory, 84. Innocent IV , 72. 78. Nicholas IV., 92. Paul III.. 305. Urban IV., 84. See Corrections. Population of the Parish. 375. Pound of silyer, money coined ft-om, 25. 129. Poyntok, 171, 311, 313, 351, 357, 362, 377, 404. "Preachings," the, 211 ; field preaching, 216, 229. Prehistoric Period, 3-5, 431; memorials of. 5-7. Presbyterial visitations, 191, 197. 235. Presbyterian ministers, deprived, 214; resorted to, 216, 219-20, 230. Presbyteries, origin of, 175, 178. Presbytery restored. 191; 227, 229; in England. 206. Prestons of Kilbums. the. 408. Prices of grain, 167, 173, 369. Priestmeadow (Barrv). 347. Priors. 46. 64, 98, 108. 308. Priorivell, 157, 326, 378. Priory, what, 46. Probi homines, who, 27. Procurations, what, 106. Proprietors, adjoining, in 1286, 90. Protestant worship, form of, 168-9. Psalms, versions of, 204-.5. Quarrelhope, 98. (See 313.) Quency, Roger de, his family, and grant to the Abbey, 71. Raban the printer, 272. See Corrections. " Rabbling of the Curates," 227-8. Races at Gauldrv, 328. Ralph, Abbot, 69, 72, 78. Ralph, "the chaplain," 27. Ram says of Bottomcraig, 183, 329, 406. '— of Corston, SOS. of Grange, 268. 307-8, 410-lL of Kirkton, 301, 308, 329. 403. of Naughton, 267, 308, 370, 374. Rathillet, 69. 70, 223-4, 248. Ravensbv, 348, 354-5, 360. Reader, duties of the, 167-8, 192, 195. Rebels, 237, 242-3, 294. Rectories, fewness of, 67. Refomiation, Refomiers, 125-6, 163, 432. "Regality, free," 61, 145. Registration neglected, 247, 326. Regular clergy, who, 47. Reid, General. 306. Rentals, 129. 349, 300. 369, 375. Reuels of Balmerino, the, 25-9, 31, 54, 60, 63, 69. 210, 389. Richard. Abbot, 105, 107. Rizzio's murder, 26-5. Roads, 135, 240, 328. Rob Roy, 237. Robert, Abbot. 107, 109, 112, 121, 123-30, 264, 305, 312, 347-8, 403-8, 411, 413- 14. Robert Bruce, King, his charters and grants to the Abbey. 95. Robert III, King, his letter to the Abbot, 101. Robertson's "Statuta Eccles. Scot" quoted, 85, 105-7, 112. 120, 431. Robertson, John Stark, of Ballindean, 305-6. of Struan, 304-5 Romans in Fife, 7, 8 : coins, 8. Ross, Archbishop, 298. Rothes, Earls of, 312-13, 317, 397. Row's History of the Church quoted, 189. Row of Ceres', and of Carnock, 23L Roxbui-gh, Abbey property at, 73. Ruins of the Abbey, 150-8, 380. Sabbath-breakers, 178, 190, 230-1. Sabbath-Schools, 24-5-6. Sac and soc, 27 Safe-conducts to Abbot John XL, 101-3. St Alus's or Ayle's chapel, 103-4, 148, 350. St Andrews, Abbey property in, 73, 92 ; canons of 57. 130, 432; churches of, 52, 96. 253, 412; council of clergy at, 16: Culdees at, 10-13; legendary origin of, 10-12.431 ; Prior of, 23,46, 47, 104, 125; Priory of, possessed Forgan church, the chapel, and cer- INDEX. 429 tain lands in the estate, of Naughton, 21-4, 99, 266; and lands at Balmerino, 26, 31, 99; three canons of Priory of, to be sent to the University, 120; Register of Priorv of, 10, 19, 20-4, 26- 7, 29, 47, 252 3 ; Old Register of, 10- 11; trial of Walter Myln at, 124-5; and of Lord Balmerino, 286 ; Uni- versity of, 120, 193-4, 205, 262, 279, 280, 313, 322 ; Queen Mary at, 134-6 ; Refoi-mers at, 125-G; Presbytery of, 170, 174, 179, 208, 228; Presbytery Minutes of, 174-9; Synod of, 181-4, 214-16, 272-3; bishops and archbps. of, 21-2, 103, 138, 181-2, 184, 189,205, 207, 215-16, 219, 222-6, 260, 273, 298, 298, 309. 368, 431 ; printer at, 272. St Columba, 10, 12, St Edward the Confessor, 43, 123, St Fort. See Sandford. St John's Well, 157. St Mary's Chapel at Gaitside, 71 ; church at Balmerino, 381. St Merino's Croft (Barry), 355. St Phillan's or Forgrund, 21. St Regnlus, legend of, 10-12. St Stevin's Croft (Barry), 354. St Thomas's chapel of Seamylnes, 23, 261, 266. Salmon fishing. See Fishings. Sandford, 14, 237, 262, 267, 281, 317. Saxons, the, 9, 17, 19, 51. Schanwell's reform of the monasteries, 108. Scholars, poor, to be paid for, 215. School, the parochial, established, 191-2, 432 ; removed, 247 ; legacy to, 206-7 ; side schools forbidden, 239. Schoolmasters of Balmerino, list of, 346 ; salary of, 192, 368. Schools, parochial, established, 192. Sabbath, established, 245. teachers o^ take oaths to Govern- ment, 246. Schyrham, Gregory de, 95. Scongate. 16, 97. Scotia, old meaning of the term, 61. Scott of Bahveary, 347. of Newburgh, 303. r- of Scotstarvit, 286, of Pitgorno, 347. Scrimgeours of Birkhill, family of the, 317-23, 400, 243, 311, 411-14; the young Constable of Dimdee, 260. See Wedderburns. Scrimgeour, James, Sir, 254-5. John, 257. John, Sir, 103. of Foxhall, 323. Scrogieside, 129, 210, 357, 362, 368-71, 376, 409. ScuiT, 129, 171, 209-10, 238, 267, 326, 336- 7, 350-1, 357, 362, 368-71, 375-6, 379, 404, 406-8, 415. ScuiT nm, height of, 335. Seal of the Abbey, 59, 95, 122, 142, 381 ; of an Abbot, 95, 123. Seamylnes, chapel at, 23, 261, 266. Seaton, David, his call, 232. See Seton. Secular clergy, who, 47. Segy or Seggie, 267, 252, 281. Session. See Kirk-Session. Seth, Elspeth, reputed witch, 199-203. Seton of Parbroath, 144. Shai-p, Archbishop, 205, 216, 222-6. Sibbald, James, Schoolmaster, 192, 194-5, 202, 205. Sfbbald's " History of Fife and Kinross " quoted, 11, 24, 82, 279, 311 Small. Helen, reputed witch, 199. Smiddylands, 410. Smuggling, 242. Somerset's Invasion, 116. Somerville, Rev. G. R. 248. Southesk, Earl of, 30. Spens, ballad of Sir Patrick, 86. Spirituality of the Abbey, 137, 140-2, 358. Spirling fishings, 327. Spottiswoode, 150, 287. "Standing Stones," 4, 6, 9. Stark or Stirk, of Ballindean, family of, 304-7, 394, 241-5, 329, 407, 409. David, 175. George, 175, 196, 198, 363, 365, 369, 41i-12. John, minister of Logie, 412, John, minister of Balmerino, 244, 305-6. Paul, 411-12. Robert, 245. Thomas, 217, 232, 235, 373, 412. Thomas, minister of Balmerino, 241-4. StaiT, relics, found at, 5. Statistical Accounts of Balmerino, 14, 245, 247, 299, 325-7, 335-6, 378 ; of other parishes, 6, 8, 98, 242, 338. Stawel, Adam de, 27-8, 31, 54, 60. Stedmuirland, 70. 353, 357. Sterling money, origin of the term, 94; accounts kept in, 243. Steynson, Thomas, monk, 123, 138-9. Stipend of Balmerino, 138, 165-7, 172-3, 186-8, 207-8, 237-8, 242-3, 246-7, 372. Stipends of the clergy. 20, 23, 85, 128, 138, 187-S. Stok, fishings of, 95, 355, 360. Stone coffins, 14, 155, 432. Stone circles, 6, 8, 431. Stool of repentance, 213. Strabraun, 70. Strathmiglo, 70-1. Strickland's "Lives of the Queens of Scotland " quoted, 113-14, 136-7, 266. Stuarts of Balmerino, the, 300, 392. Surnames, origin of, 82. Swan and Leighton's "Fife Illustrated" quoted, 9, 14, 71, 149, 158, 256, 328. Swan's Mire, 16, 71. 99. Sword, James, and Margaret, 278. 430 INDEX. Tacks of Abbey revennes, 120-1, 128, 137-9. 141, 144. Tan work at Byres, 327. Taverns- See Alehouses. Taxatio Antiqua, 23, 28, 84-5. Taxed Roll of the Abbacy, 359. Tay, the river, 13, 56, 64, 81, 95, 97, 117, 147, 237, 242, 247, 318, 327, 335-6, 339. 355. Teinds or tithes ; origin of, 20 ; alienated to bishops and monasteries, 21, 67-8; the lesser, what, 67 ; of novalia, not to be exacted, 74, 187; leases of, 120-1, 123, 137, 141; of Balmerino. 68, 141, 143, 186-8, 208, 360, 364; vicarage, of Balmeiino, 208, 243; valuation of, of Balmerino and Naughton, and explanation of the system, 186-9, 364-S; collection of, 187, 274-5; in England and Ireland now valued, 188. Temporality of the Abbey, 139, 141-3. Tenant-farmers, names of, 369,375; the church kind to its, 38, 274 ; lords of erection severe on their, 274. Tent at Communions, 239. Thanksgiving services, 196, 210, 215, 230, 242. Thirds of benefices, 128-9, 133, 143, 165, 172, 186. Thomas, Abbot, 89. Thomson. Andrew, minister of Balmer- ino, 245-7, 329. John, minister of Balmerino, 247-8, 329, 335. Thornton, 129. 378, 411, 433. Thorayflak. 408. Tindall or Tinwall, ilargaret, 171. Tithes. See Teinds. "Tol and tehm," 27. Tombstones, 286, 329, 330. Topography of the Parish, 335. Tor or Thor Catholach. See Kedlock. Transmission of property, 402. Tytler, the historian, quoted, 16, 18, 20, 38, 152. Ure, John, minister of Leuchars, 130. Urns found, 5-7. Valuation of churches, in 1176 (?), 23, 28; of abbevs, bishoprics, and churches, in 1275 and 1492, 85, 129; of teinds of Balmerino and Xaughton, 186-9, 364-8; of the Parish in 1694, 369 ; of the Abbey revenue, 85, 129, 349, 356. See Extents. Valued Rent of the Parish, 369-372. Vecturiones, people of Fife, 9. Vicar, vicarages, 66-8; vicarage teinds, 208, 243. Views of the Abbey, 158. Vm, and viUeins, what, 23, 28. See Cor- rections. Vineyards, 73. Visitations. See Presbj^erial Visitations. Wallace, Sir William, 319. Walter, the "Messager." 97. Walter, son of Alan, his grant to the Abbey, 61. Wan, John, his tombstone, 330. Wardlaw, bishop. 103. Wattiesfauld, 352. 411. Wedderbunis of Wedderbum and Birk- hill, the, 322-3, 329, 400, 245, 414 See Scrimgeom-, Birkhill, Corbie. Wells, sacred, 157. Welsh, John, 219-20. Wetslac. 83. Whitequanelhope, 313. AYhite's " Eighteen Christian Centuries " quoted, 49. AVhittinghame Church, 431. William I. (De Perisbv), Abbot, 84-6. II., Abbot, 93-4. the Lion, 21-4, 53, 62, 70, 100. Willoughbv de Eresbv, Lord, 24. Witches in the Parish, 199-204; in Fife, 204. Wodrow, the Chmxh historian, quoted, 223-5. Wood-carving of the Abbey, 149. Wood's " East Neuk of Fife " quoted, 260. "History of Cramond Parish" quoted. 287. TVoodflat, 171, 268, 311, 350-2, 377, 402-4, 406, 411. Woodhaven, 313. WoodhiU (Barry), 347, 353, 360. Woods in the Parish, when planted, 328. Wormet. 259, 266, 317. 337-8, 335. Wvlie. John, Schoolmaster, 229, 330. Wyndham, Admiral, 116-18, 348. Wynton of Lochleven quoted, 62, 254-6, 320, 100. Year, beginning of, changed, 141. Yeister, John, monk, 124, 138-9. York Buildings Company, 299. Young, Helen, confessed witch, 199. COEEECTIONS AND ADDITIONS. Page 4, line 1. It may be doubted whether the facts bear out a division into three consecutive periods. Page 6, lines 24 and 25. For last year read two years ago. Page 8, line 7 from foot. There appears to be no 2^roof that stone circles were connected with Druidical worship. Page 12, line 4. The death of an Abbot of Cincl High Monaigh is recorded in the Annals of Tighernach mider the year 747. If this place denotes St Andrews (Kilrymonth), as Dr Joseph Robertson supposes, the Culdee establishment there must have existed before the time of Hungus. (See Robertson's "Statuta Ecclesiae Scoticanae," vol. I., p. ccvi.) Mr Skene thinks St Andrews may have been founded in 736. Page 25, line 5 from foot. After a third add \^two-thii~ds?'\. Page 28, line 9. For velleins read villeins. Page 28, line 13. For Velleinage read Villeinage. Page 40, line 4 from foot. For cantius read cautius. Page 51, line 6. Bishop Bernham of St Andrews (1238-1252) consecrated or dedicated, in the space of ten years, no fewer than 140 of the 300 churches in his diocese. If all these churches were, as is probable, built or rebuilt within that period, the fact furnishes a remarkable illustration of the rapid rate at which such structures were erected in the 13th centiu-y. Of these, Flisk church was consecrated in 1242 ; Collessie, Dairsie, Cults, and Barry in 1243 ; Leuchars in 1244 ; Moonzie and "Whittinghame in 1245. (Robertson's " Statuta Ecclesiae Scoticanae," vol. I., pp. clxxxv. and ccxcviii.) The church of Leuchars was anciently dedicated to St Athernasc, whose day is the 22d of December. The churches of Fiisk and Lindores were dedicated to Macgridin (Mac Odrau, or Adrian), whose day is the 4th of March. (Mr Skene's Article in " Proceedings of the Society of Anti- quaries of Scotland," vol. IV. pp. 308-321.) Page 57, line 2 from foot, and page 85, last line. For Scotochron- icon read ScoticJironicon. Page 60, lines 3 and 11 from foot. For brackeited resid bracketed. Page 69, line 1. The original, which is not classical Latin, should perhaps be translated " a very learned man for his age.'' Page 84, line 1. For Urban VI. read Urban IV. Page 90, line 6. For Henry read Hervey. 432 CORRECTIONS AND ADDITIONS. Page 94, line 8. Delete Castle Street {in vico castellano), and add (de vico castellanS) after Castle Street in line 16. Page 96, line 8. After Aynstroyir add and also confers on the monks the privilege of having a braciniim on their land, and of erecting boyas (booths or huts)^ the inhabitants of ichich may spread their nets to dry on his ground. line 11. For ^^Reli- gions'''' read '"'■ Religious.'''' Page 100, line 7 from foot. For sous read sons. Page 107, line 8 from foot. For youth read youths. Page 109, line 6 from foot. For furnish read furnishes. — First note. It is not very clear to which of the ]\laiiles of Pan- mure Mr. Jervise refers, and the date he attaches to the con- tract must be a wrong one. Page 112, hne 11 from foot. For Hollingshead read Hollinshead. Page 123, note. A similar instance occiu-s in the Records of the Kkk-Session of St Andrews, which are coeval with the Re- formation, and contain the recantation of many monks — some of the recantations being specially marked propria majiu^ as if written by deputy. Line 15. For Durie read Dunne. Page 124, line 13 from foot. For Lunon read Lunan. Page 136, line 7 from foot. For this request read these requests. Page 152, line 10. In 1831 or 1832 a neatly cut stone coffin, con- taining a skuU and bones, was dug up from the Abbey ruins, near the spot where the high altar of the Abbey chm-ch pro- bably stood. It was supposed — whether correctly or not — to be the coffin of Queen Ermengarde ; but was broken to pieces by Mrs. Mitchell, the farmer's wife, and used for scrubbing her kitchen-floor ! Page 163, line 15. For did not receive the royal sanction read icere not fully legalized. Page 171, line iO from foot. For of confrmation read under the Great Seal. Page 185, line 17, for 1613 read perhaps in 1607. (The trans- mission of these lands is very obscm^e, and the account given at p. 404 may not be correct in every particular.) Page 192, note. The correctness of the first two statements is doubtful. The school was at Bottomcraig as early as 1701. Page 237, Hne 13 from foot. The intended coronation appears not to have actually taken place. Page 256, line 21. For tu-enty-six read sixteen. Page 272, line 4 from foot. After ivas read probably. Page 287, line 9 from foot. For Charles II. read Charles I. Page 292, line 10 from foot. For Scots read sterling. Page 310, line 13: For 1599 read 1559. Page 314, line 7. For Danmiln read Denmiln. Page 324, line 2 from foot. After to read that of / x^ .^ %'IL ^— x'V^^'^^ CORRECTIONS AND ADDITIONS. 433 Page 348, line 6. For to read at. Page 371, line 2. After Balmerino add as will appear he ane par- ticular lientall. (The Rental referred to is, however, not recorded.). Page 378, lines 1 and 2. The names Thornton and Fincraigs are not disused, nor are the places uninhabited. Page 379, line 2 from foot, and page 37G, hue 17. For Machhirb read Maclichirh. Page 383, hue 8 from foot. For musket read mullet. Page 390, hue 8 from foot. John Kinneir of that Ilk is said to have died in Dundee on the 21st of June 1584, aged 63 ; and to have been bmied there. (Monteith's " Theater of Mor- tality," p. 51). If this is correct, there must have been two successive lau-ds of Kinneii' named John. TI-RXBl LI AND SrKAKS. TKIMHIS, EniNBTRriH